As promised last week, our Tuesday columnist and former Blue gets up close and personal with the Carling Cup heroes.

 

 

The Carling Cup final of 2007 will go down as one of the most memorable domestic finals in history.

 

Great goals, a comeback, two fine teams who are old adversaries, some superb individual performances, dramas on and off the field as well as 102 minutes of pulsating entertainment with a fitting conclusion to the game, i.e. a Chelsea win.

 

It was also hard to argue with the man of the match trophy residing anywhere else other than the mantelpiece of Didier Drogba, not only after the game but also the season he has had.

 

What however cannot be overlooked is some of the behaviour shown on the day.

 

Violence is always to be abhorred and of course it can have an adverse affect on those who witness it. So it is time to hold our hands up and admit that the unacceptable sight of a couple of hundred pounds of celery raining down on the field was a contributing factor of the stress being felt by both sets of players, bubbling over into a bit of a fracas near the end of the game.

 

Chelsea fans must understand that if a piece of rogue celery were to hit one of the players at just the wrong angle, then there is every chance someone's hairstyling could have been seriously affected. It takes constant gelling after hours of intense styling to make sure the coiffures look just so for the big day.

 

Forget about the Oscar ceremony, the pictures of these players will be beamed round the world for all to see and the last thing they need is for a flake of green vegetation to adversely affect the perfectly manufactured creations developed by the hairdressing artistes.

 

Hairdressers throughout the London area held their breaths as one, as well as each others hands, when Cesc Fabregas went over to take a corner. So in future spare a thought for these delicate visionaries and the hours they have sweated over the basins and the dryers.

 

Thankfully José and Arsène were not caught up in that particularly dangerous corner, but they will doubtless incur the wrath of the FA for going on to the pitch during the game. You could however argue that they simply added to spectacle of what will eventually be remembered as a legendary afternoon.

 

On a slightly more serious note, there will be folk getting all hot and bothered about those scenes at the end of the game, but when compared to some of the horrors I witnessed at Chelsea games in Cardiff in the eighties, we have certainly come a long way.

 

Other than that it is good news for Chelsea all the way. One trophy down and three to go this season and just to put the icing on the cake, it would appear that John Terry is in fact indestructible after all.

 

He suffered an ankle injury in Porto which would have kept a lesser mortal out for a month, but only managed to curtail one training session for our captain as he was back to lead from the front on Sunday.

 

Then there was the sickening injury and concussion followed by his immediate hospitalisation, which didn't even manage to stop him from joining in the celebrations after the match.

 

Forget those who want to go on about the negative sides of the afternoon, this was for the vast majority of the time, a phenomenal celebration of all the is good, exciting and enthralling about the English game. If only every cup final was so engaging.

 

I was honoured to be asked to write the pen pics for the match programme on the day, but the shine was slightly taken off it when they looked at my copy and said 'don't be so stupid you cheeky, disrespectful clown Nevin', before mercilessly editing it prior to publication.

 

As promised last week, below is the full unedited version for your perusal, particularly if you weren't at the game or didn't manage to get your hands on a programme.

 

Before that however there is the competition. A more difficult question last week fooled a few of you, but nearly 100 got it right. The person to score most hat tricks (three goals in one game) for Chelsea was indeed the great Jimmy Greaves with an amazing 13.

 

The supplementary question was even trickier, but it was George 'Gatling Gun' Hilsdon who scored the second most hat-tricks with ten many years before. He is also the man who is famously portrayed in the Chelsea weather vane at the stadium.

 

This week a test of how closely you were watching the Carling Cup final.

 

Which Arsenal man showed his two footed skills precisely 24 minutes into the cup final?

 

Answers as ever to pat.nevin@chelseafc.com and the winner will get the usual DVD of the Blues.

 

Now to those pen pics and hopefully Chelsea players will take them in the right spirit and hopefully any Arsenal fans who have strayed on to this site will take it with the same light hearted attitude.

 

 

Petr Cech - Arguably the best goalkeeper in the world today, who at 24 will

only get better as he gets older. Keepers usually peak in their early to

mid thirties, which is a frightening thought for Premiership strikers. It

could have been all so different; he wanted to be an ice hockey keeper and

has recently even started to wear the headgear to prove the point. As long

as he doesn't bring his hockey stick onto the pitch to deter overeager

forwards, he should continue to take the stoppers art to new levels.

 

Carlo Cudicini - Carlo would play week in week out at just about any other

club in the world. He was named Chelsea Player of the Year by the fans in

2001 and was in the PFA team of the year the following season. His shot

stopping compares with the very best and it is almost an insult to describe

him as merely a stand in keeper. His chance for a run of games was cruelly

curtailed when injured in the same game as Petr Cech incurred his infamous

head injury.

 

Hilario - The man with the headline writers' dream name, but the Portuguese

has been too competent to tempt the tabloids when he has been given his

chance. He was rightly proud of his Champions League debut against

Barcelona last year when he kept a clean sheet against some of the finest

strikers in the game. He played under José Mourinho in season 2003-04 for

Porto and although he tends to follow the manager around, he is not related

to him as far as we know.

 

Ashley Cole - Full backs used to be 6' 2" cloggers whose main aim in life

was to kick the ball 70 yards up field in the general direction of the

strikers and to kick opposing wingers in a not dissimilar fashion. Ashley

Cole is the living embodiment of the modern attacking full back in the

Roberto Carlos style, always preferring attack to defence. Signed this

season from a small nomadic club in London's northern suburbs.

 

Wayne Bridge - It is bad enough when one particular player keeps you out of

the national team, but when he then transfers to your club team as well, it

is enough to make you want to burn your Waynes. The full back has however

continued to chip away and has been rewarded with a run of games for

Chelsea and a recall to Steve McClaren's England squad.

 

Paulo Ferreira - With over 30 caps for Portugal, Champions League and Uefa

Cup winners' medals with Porto alongside two league championships in both

Portugal and England, Paulo has enjoyed great success alongside his manager

and countryman José Mourinho. He is looking for his second football league

cup winners' medal today, which will serve well as a thank you present to

the manager who has developed his career. Paulo Ferreira and José Mourinho

are not related.

 

Gérémi - A more regular starter under Claudio Ranieri, Gérémi now fills in

a number of positions when injuries occur. The few goals he has scored for

Chelsea have generally been special efforts by a player who is now

considered principally as a defender, even though he started out in his

career as more of a wide attacker. He generally gets lots of sympathy on

cup final days - with fifteen brothers and sisters, sorting out the

complimentary tickets tends to be a bit of a nightmare.

 

Khalid Boulahrouz - In Holland he had the nickname Khalid the Cannibal, apparently

for his desire to eat up the opposition on the field - as if we thought it

was for another more sinister reason. He has represented Holland on 19

occasions when he has been keen to show that along with the total football

ethic, Dutch defenders can mix it with the best when the situation arises.

 

John Terry - When Chelsea fans were asked which player they most feared

losing to injury; it was of course the captain who polled the most votes.

Not only is he the rock that the team is built on, not only is he England's

captain, not only is he the best attacking centre half in the business from

set pieces, he is also a Chelsea boy through and through. In an age where

few kids actually end up playing for their boyhood team, he made the leap

from the Shed End with a bag of chips in his hands to the front of the open

top bus with the Premiership trophy in his hands. Irreplaceable.

 

On a personal note, I am currently avoiding him because, as a keen

collector of Blues memorabilia, he wants my 1983/84 Chelsea home shirt and

I am embarrassed to tell him that he can't afford it.

 

Ricardo Carvalho - One of my favourite players in the game today. A classic

old style no nonsense defender who just loves to tackle. Having been on the

end of a few Stuart Pearce crunchers in my time I feel eminently qualified

to say that he delivers the same type of message with his size nines. The

idea is to get in hard, time it well, make it fair, but if the opponent

knows he has be challenged at the end of it all, then all the better.

His performances at Euro 2004 were worthy of player of the tournament, when

he allied his brilliant defending with a willingness to break forward at

pace to set up and join in with attacks. Moving from Porto to Chelsea in

2004, with all the attendant medals, he is not related to José Mourinho.

 

Lassana Diarra - Lassana is a player for the future who has already tasted first

team action. Originally expected to challenge Makelele in the long term, he

has also been considered at full back. Naturally left footed, he is just as

comfortable on his right side. Far to young for a grizzled old ex pro to

wind up.

 

Michael Essien - One of José Mourinho's untouchables, which is not a

comment on his hygiene habits. Known as the Bison, again nothing to do with

his hygiene, but more to do with his running power and tackling prowess.

Michael is one of the hardest players in the Premiership, not only to play

against but also to interview. Shyness personified, I recently asked him

what his pastimes were, hoping to get an answer longer than five words and

then develop a conversation. His answer ' I like to sleep.' Michael

Parkinson would have struggled. Polite to the point of agreeing to play

brilliantly in any position his manager asks at a moments notice. Noted for

his impeccable cleanliness.

 

Claude Makelele -. In reference books under the phrase holding midfielder

it simply says 'see Claude Makelele'. Almost certainly the best player in

the world in his preferred position, reading danger effortlessly and

destroying attacks with his tough and timely tackles.

Even though he is very friendly off the field, most acquaintances usually

only feel comfortable giving an honest appraisal of his choice of casual

shirts from a distance of more than 50 yards away?which co-incidentally is

also the best range to appreciate them from.

 

John Mikel Obi - Possibly the most bizarre and confused transfer saga in

British history was played out between Chelsea and Manchester United over

John Obi. All of that is behind him now and with the learning process also

behind him regarding the culture of football in England and at Chelsea in

particular, ( translation - turn up late again and you will get sent to the

frozen wastes of northern Cobham for another month and you should only use

the excuse 'I was kidnapped' once in British football ) he now has

everything, including the talent and the physique, to become a huge star.

 

Frank Lampard - Without doubt Frank is one of the all-time Chelsea greats

with his astonishing scoring record from midfield. Reaching the top of your

profession, and being runner up as world and European player of the year in

2005 behind Ronaldinho suggest he has, the tough part is to stay there. The

52 times capped midfielder has managed to continue to be the most durable

player at the very top level in world football in recent years, missing

games as infrequently as Tiger Woods misses cuts.

 

Michael Ballack - There have been huge expectations in England for the

iconic German player of his generation, though Oliver Kahn might argue with

that statement. Actually Kahn would not only argue but would almost

certainly sue over that statement. If and when the midfield relationship

with Frank Lampard reaches its full potential it could be unstoppable and

the most successful Anglo German alliance since the Saxe-Coburgs started

hanging around Buckingham Palace 160 odd years ago.

 

Joe Cole - Highly regarded before his recent injury, his time on the

sidelines may even have enhanced his reputation at Stamford Bridge. In his

absence the Blues have sorely missed the creativity and range of different

options he offers. The change from unreliable, if undeniably talented

fringe player, to regular producer for club and country has been among the

most impressive transitions in the modern game. Gianfranco Zola's boots

were tough to fill - and not just because they were so small - but he

certainly has managed to do so over the past couple of seasons.

 

Arjen Robben - Anyone watching the Dutchman hobble pitifully from the

training ground to his car would struggle to believe that come match day

this man goes from 0-60 quicker than an Aston Martin DB9. Has the comical

and enviable habit of making most defenders look not unlike Wile E Coyote

in pursuit of the roadrunner when he puts his foot down.

Rumours of the playing surface at Stamford Bridge being singed in the

process are apparently untrue, though it is probably still a good idea to

soak the wings at five to three just in case.

 

Shaun Wright-Phillips - A big money move from Manchester City was a bit of

a millstone round his neck, and having Arjen Robben and Joe Cole in

contention for his place, it was never going to be easy for the lightning

quick and tricky winger. Give him his due he has stuck at it and fought for

his place in the Chelsea first eleven and those efforts have helped him to

retain his place in the England set up. His dad used to play for a small

nomadic club in the suburbs of North London before briefly hitting the big

time with Glasgow Celtic.

 

Didier Drogba - Serious doubts have been raised this year on whether or not

he is actually a real human being. After a truly astonishing run of form it

has been suggested that he is in fact a hybrid genetically designed and

engineered by a group of eminent scientists paid to produce the perfect

centre forward. Suspicions were further aroused when he briefly filled in

at centre back during a few games and immediately looked world class there

as well. Close advisors have suggested he tries to pretend to be a bit

rubbish now and again to quell the rumours, hasn't heeded them as yet.

 

Andriy Shevchenko - The Ukrainian is probably under more pressure to

perform than any other player who has ever come to the Premiership. He has

continued to work hard as he has attempted to acclimatise to the English

game. Many others have succeeded after taking a while to fit in, including

Didier Drogba, Doug Rougvie and Thierry Henry who plays for a small,

nomadic club in the etc etc. Shevchenko blotted his copybook earlier in

the season by scoring a goal against Scotland in a European qualifier.

 

Salomon Kalou - After three years at Feyenoord, Salomon left partly to

develop his career and partly due to a highly publicised and failed attempt

to become a naturalised Dutchman. Much is expected of the man now

representing his home country of the Ivory Coast, but it is worth

remembering that he is still only 21 and his undoubted raw talent needs

time to develop. Even so he still has over 30 appearances in this, his

first season at Stamford Bridge.

Headline writers still spend many sleepless hours trying to work Salomon's

mines into any article about him