My first encounter with the üüüüüüüüüüüüüüüüüüüüüber-catchy "Tom Hark" was back in August when Burnley lodged that shock 1-0 result over Manchester United.
Since then, I've noticed its undeniably catchy "da, da, daaa" piping up in the background during halftimes and pregames all across England. In fact, as the title of this post reads, it's my song of the season. Hopefully some MLS supporters adopt it for this year since "Seven Nation Army" is so 2008.
Anyway, I'm not huge on embedding videos since the YouTube Copyright ninjas work in funny ways. (This was written before Dempsey's goalazo on Thursday afternoon.) This video from 1980 featuring a ska-punk band named The Piranhas is so out-and-out amazing, that it almost deserves a @DanielTosh video breakdown, or at least a countdown. (Tosh is the biggest asshole on TV right now, that's a compliment.)
A shirtless greaser playing the drums with rubber fish?
And he's positioned as the frontman?
A guy that looks about 60, or like Bob Fossil from "The Mighty Bosh" playing a flute?
Porkpie hats?
Dancing in place?
Terrible camera angles?
Again, it all comes back to the guy with the fish?
Let's just stop talking about it. Either way you're going to be humming that riff in your sleep tonight anyway. (If the song from the Nike "Human Chain" ad isn't already occupying that spot. As somebody anonymously commented yesterday, can't wait to see what Nike rolls out for the World Cup.)
Da, da daaaah, da da daaaah......(sorry)
Champions League leftovers:
* As weird as it sounds, coming from somebody that writes about the Premier League week-after-week, I'm the first person on that planet happy to see only a pair of English clubs in the Champions League quarterfinals. Diversity, here, is a good thing.
No, reaching the quarterfinals isn't turning CSKA Moscow or even Bordeaux into attractive long-term targets for top talent, or even shifting the balance of power from England. Yet, I'm on board for anything that keeps us away from a Chelsea-Liverpool match. (As for Liverpool where does winning the Europa League stand? To me, if you're Liverpool FC and you win the Europa League, you're a winner and a loser.)
(I wrote this Thursday, before Friday's awful draw.)
As it stands, it would be nice to give Barcelona a "soft" bracket, with either French club or CSKA, why waste a heavyweight match for only the quarters? The only teams that might be able to beat Barca are Inter (in Jose we trust), Arsenal (only midfield that could keep up with Xavi/Iniesta) or maaaaaaybe Bayern (they could score some goals at least), though the German defense is just so weak. Manchester United? The Red Devils couldn't do it with CRon9, so even SuperRoon isn't enough this season.
Part of me thinks maybe Lyon, with a defense-first approach might make some noise with the right draw, too. Les Gones would almost certainly have to keep a clean sheet at the Stade Gerland to even have a chance if they ran across Barca. Hope they aren't content after taking bows for knocking out Real Madrid.
If Michel Platini can embrace his inner David Stern, he'll give us Manchester United-Inter, anyway, if only to satiate the English press and kick the Jose Mourinho-to-Liverpool, or as Sir Alex's successor at Old Trafford into high gear.
Right now I'd love to see an Inter-Barca final, especially played in the heart of Madrid. That would just be a world class game and a prefect way to send off the club season before the World Cup. Sometimes simple is best.
* My unofficial, pre-draw odds to win it all. Let's put Barca as 2-to-1 odds vs. the field.
After Barca, I'd rate it: Inter, Arsenal, Manchester United, Bayern, Lyon, Bordeaux and CSKA.
* Of course, UEFA cooked up a semi-questionable draw. We gets a finals-worthy Barca-Arsenal pairing, while both French clubs get each other. Inter gets the rank outsider -- CSKA, while Manchester United and Bayern actually should be a fun matchup with goals-o'plenty on the docket.
Overall, I'm not crazy how the draw broke, but it's a little different even if Manchester United's path to the final seems considerably more clear cut than the other favorites. At least we do get to see Barcelona and Arsenal, which is a must-watch game for every fan of the sport.
Let the Cesc Fabregas-Barcelona rumors re-commence!
(Side note, Fulham must be happy getting Wolfsburg, while Liverpool can't complain with Benfica.)
* Chelsea is dead. Or at least the press would have you think that.
Funny how overnight a team in soccer can become "old", an offshoot of the classic parallel for a player becoming "fat."
It amazes me how the ages of Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard, Nic Anelka, Michael Ballack and John Terry weren't an issue around noon on Tuesday, then it was the end of the world after the Special One coaxed Inter past them.
For one, Chelsea's style is certainly more suited toward the Premier League, where they can beat up and eventually bowl over the softer teams. The Blues are like a medieval battering ram, with Drogba's head instead of an affectation of a horned-ram at the end of it.
Against Inter, Chelsea's lack of creative spark -- namely in the center of the park -- was a killer. Aside from some runs by Flourent Malouda, there was nothing going for Chelsea, which dearly missed Ashley Cole, too.
The key now, for Chelsea is to figure out if its time to tear it all down and start a new run -- finally flushing away the core of the Mourinho team -- or supplement it with some new blood. You've already heard Fernando Torres name mentioned, and that's just the start. Expect a summer of Franck Ribery-to-Stamford Bridge stories to begin. (Is he that much better than Malouda, beyond his marquee value?) Hell, let's throw Wesley Sneijder's name into the mix, as a prototype of a creative player Chelsea needs.
Every player in Europe that isn't bolted down to the floor will probably hear his named bandied about toward Chelsea.
Me, I wouldn't tear everything down at the Bridge, just yet. You can probably coax another run out of the Terry-Lampard-Drogba core, at least in the Premier League. Anelka -- who's been pretty awful in 2010 -- should be out the door, in favor of a better complement to Drogba, or at least a little more pace (Kun Aguero? David Villa?). It's time for Ballack to pack his bags, too. (If I'm a team like Sunderland, Blackburn, Stoke, I'd make a run at the loathsome German ace, he'd be very useful marshaling the midfield for a midtable team for a year or two. As it stand he'd probably only settle for a club in the Champions League, and a Bundesliga club might be willing to pay for him, so it won't happen.)
One thing to consider with Chelsea, is that the Blues are a different squad with a healthy Michael Essien, who unlike John Obi Mikel, does more than just take up space and run into people, accruing a yellow brick's road worth of cards.
For Chelsea right now, even with Roman's billions, who is running the ship, since you'd think Carlo Ancelotti isn't long for England after Tuesday's KO.
Methinks after a couple years of somewhat penny, err, rubles-pinching, Uncle Roman is opening the piggy bank. Think the Yankees splurging for CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixeira last winter.
One MLS quibble:
* Here's my quickee take on the whole MLS-CBA-strike issue. It's a lot like the famous Robert Evans quote, "There are three sides to every story, yours, mine and the truth."
As someone that's not completely invested week-to-week by the league, here's my semi-detached question.
The only things cited by people who say a strike would be a disaster, are:
a) Philadelphia fans traveling for Thursday's opener at Seattle
b) Red Bull Arena opening. (I have tickets for RBNY/Santos, but had to pawn them off to my dad since I'm covering a high school championship basketball game at the same time. Grumble.)
Doesn't it make sense to reach a tenable deal for both sides, than rush something through? Missing a couple weeks of games to get the right deal that fits both sides wouldn't be the end of the world, no?
Hate to say it, but with the NCAA tournament in full bloom, the MLS going on strike is a lot like that old Chinese proverb of a "if tree falling in the woods, does it make a sound."
Having said that, I hope they avoid a work stoppage. (I have tickets to the Red Bull/Union match on March 27, after all.)
Saturday:
* Aston Villa v. Wolves -- (Live, ESPN2, 8:45 a.m.) Mini derby alert here, but that's secondary to Villa's pursuit of the Champions League. Martin O'Neill's crew did pretty good last week, taking four points from a pair of road matches. Villa is still on pace for fourth, trailing Tottenham by three with a game in hand on Spurs. Obviously they can't afford to stub their toe here, against a Wolves side that he proved pretty plucky plucky trying to cruise above the drop zone. Considering how toothless Wolves' attack is, I can't see them scoring on Villa. ... Villa 3, Wolves 0
* Everton v. Bolton -- (Live, FSC, 11 a.m.) Landon Donovan in MLS CBA limbo. Stuart Holden on the sidelines with a broken leg. Yeah, this one lost a lot of its juice for us in the States. In a blink of an eye Owen Coyle has Bolton ten points clear of the drop. How did this happen so fast? Was I asleep? The Trotters have settled on a lineup, and the pairing of Johan Ellmander and Kevin Davies seems to be getting the job done. Gary Cahill could be back, too. Still, Everton are just a little better, at Goodison Park. ... Everton 2, Bolton 1
* Portsmouth v. Hull City -- I guess if you're on Portsmouth you can't just give up, since you need to make yourself as marketable as possible for the summer. I know Jamie O'Hara wants to stick in the Premier League, if not when his loan with Spurs is over. How about Mark Wilson? (Okay, the rest of the team is pretty soup kitchen.) Now how will Hull react now that Phil Brown's would-be operatic singing is relegated to the shower? Iain Dowie? Well, I suppose he was available. His career track record? Not so good. His best spell as at QPR in 2008, going 8-3-4. It's not like he plays defense, because Hull's defense is an atrocity at the moment. Sorry Jozy. ... Portsmouth 3, Hull City 2
* Stoke City v. Tottenham -- (Live, FSC+, 10:45 a.m.) Show me something here Spurs. Cue up the Olivia Newtown John, because this game could get really physical. Be ready Tottenham. ... Stoke City 1, Tottenham 2
* Sunderland v. Birmingham City -- Back in October, I would have said Sunderland would've been the surprise of the season. Instead it was Birmingham. The pressure is off Sunderland a little bit and they're starting to play better. Allowing the Adam Johnson late leveler last week was tough, but I liked Sunderland's grit in that match. Birmingham? Don't get greedy this summer. ... Sunderland 1, Birmingham 1
* Wigan Athletic v. Burnley -- If the rest of the Premier League is "Seinfeld" during NBC's "Must-See TV" era, this game is the equivalent of "The Single Guy" or "Caroline in the City". For Burnley, we're in "Must win" territory the rest of the way. ... Wigan 2, Burnley 1
* Arsenal v. West Ham -- (Live, 1:30 FSC) West Ham are going to be in some trouble. Not sure they have the fight to stay up either. They're one team that doesn't seem to have the ability to play defense cohesively for the full 90, that's why Robert Green gets so many chances to impress Fabio Capello. It's hard to see anything other than an Arsenal stroll in this one. ... Arsenal 3, West Ham 1
Sunday:
* Manchester United v. Liverpool -- (Live, FSC+, 9:30 a.m.) Are we entering the "dead cat bounce" portion of the Liverpool season? Would a win over Manchester United at Old Trafford be enough to change the tenor of the year? Or the winning the Europa League? Considering the Red pure schizophrenic nature two-straight strong showings in a row? I doubt it. Fernando Torres should prove a good test to see if the Rio Ferdinand/Nemanja Vidic duo is back. Liverpool do have the talent to cause Sir Alex's club to stub its toe, but how are the Reds going to slow down Wayne Rooney? Unless Rafa pretends this is the second leg of a European tie, it doesn't seem likely. United wins, but it won't be easy ... Manchester United 2, Liverpool 1
* Fulham v. Manchester City -- Fulham can't afford a Europa league hangover. Well, they can, but will City be able to take advantage of it? He's not a sexy choice, but Roy Hodgson certainly could figure out a stable, winning lineup with all the talent on display at City, couldn't he? ... Fulham 1, City 2
* Blackburn v. Chelsea -- (Live, FSC, noon) Chelsea will not look old at Ewood Park. ... Blackburn 0, Chelsea 2
Last round: 9-2 (I'm surprised, too.)
Season: 154-134
Since then, I've noticed its undeniably catchy "da, da, daaa" piping up in the background during halftimes and pregames all across England. In fact, as the title of this post reads, it's my song of the season. Hopefully some MLS supporters adopt it for this year since "Seven Nation Army" is so 2008.
Anyway, I'm not huge on embedding videos since the YouTube Copyright ninjas work in funny ways. (This was written before Dempsey's goalazo on Thursday afternoon.) This video from 1980 featuring a ska-punk band named The Piranhas is so out-and-out amazing, that it almost deserves a @DanielTosh video breakdown, or at least a countdown. (Tosh is the biggest asshole on TV right now, that's a compliment.)
A shirtless greaser playing the drums with rubber fish?
And he's positioned as the frontman?
A guy that looks about 60, or like Bob Fossil from "The Mighty Bosh" playing a flute?
Porkpie hats?
Dancing in place?
Terrible camera angles?
Again, it all comes back to the guy with the fish?
Let's just stop talking about it. Either way you're going to be humming that riff in your sleep tonight anyway. (If the song from the Nike "Human Chain" ad isn't already occupying that spot. As somebody anonymously commented yesterday, can't wait to see what Nike rolls out for the World Cup.)
Da, da daaaah, da da daaaah......(sorry)
Champions League leftovers:
* As weird as it sounds, coming from somebody that writes about the Premier League week-after-week, I'm the first person on that planet happy to see only a pair of English clubs in the Champions League quarterfinals. Diversity, here, is a good thing.
No, reaching the quarterfinals isn't turning CSKA Moscow or even Bordeaux into attractive long-term targets for top talent, or even shifting the balance of power from England. Yet, I'm on board for anything that keeps us away from a Chelsea-Liverpool match. (As for Liverpool where does winning the Europa League stand? To me, if you're Liverpool FC and you win the Europa League, you're a winner and a loser.)
(I wrote this Thursday, before Friday's awful draw.)
As it stands, it would be nice to give Barcelona a "soft" bracket, with either French club or CSKA, why waste a heavyweight match for only the quarters? The only teams that might be able to beat Barca are Inter (in Jose we trust), Arsenal (only midfield that could keep up with Xavi/Iniesta) or maaaaaaybe Bayern (they could score some goals at least), though the German defense is just so weak. Manchester United? The Red Devils couldn't do it with CRon9, so even SuperRoon isn't enough this season.
Part of me thinks maybe Lyon, with a defense-first approach might make some noise with the right draw, too. Les Gones would almost certainly have to keep a clean sheet at the Stade Gerland to even have a chance if they ran across Barca. Hope they aren't content after taking bows for knocking out Real Madrid.
If Michel Platini can embrace his inner David Stern, he'll give us Manchester United-Inter, anyway, if only to satiate the English press and kick the Jose Mourinho-to-Liverpool, or as Sir Alex's successor at Old Trafford into high gear.
Right now I'd love to see an Inter-Barca final, especially played in the heart of Madrid. That would just be a world class game and a prefect way to send off the club season before the World Cup. Sometimes simple is best.
* My unofficial, pre-draw odds to win it all. Let's put Barca as 2-to-1 odds vs. the field.
After Barca, I'd rate it: Inter, Arsenal, Manchester United, Bayern, Lyon, Bordeaux and CSKA.
* Of course, UEFA cooked up a semi-questionable draw. We gets a finals-worthy Barca-Arsenal pairing, while both French clubs get each other. Inter gets the rank outsider -- CSKA, while Manchester United and Bayern actually should be a fun matchup with goals-o'plenty on the docket.
Overall, I'm not crazy how the draw broke, but it's a little different even if Manchester United's path to the final seems considerably more clear cut than the other favorites. At least we do get to see Barcelona and Arsenal, which is a must-watch game for every fan of the sport.
Let the Cesc Fabregas-Barcelona rumors re-commence!
(Side note, Fulham must be happy getting Wolfsburg, while Liverpool can't complain with Benfica.)
* Chelsea is dead. Or at least the press would have you think that.
Funny how overnight a team in soccer can become "old", an offshoot of the classic parallel for a player becoming "fat."
It amazes me how the ages of Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard, Nic Anelka, Michael Ballack and John Terry weren't an issue around noon on Tuesday, then it was the end of the world after the Special One coaxed Inter past them.
For one, Chelsea's style is certainly more suited toward the Premier League, where they can beat up and eventually bowl over the softer teams. The Blues are like a medieval battering ram, with Drogba's head instead of an affectation of a horned-ram at the end of it.
Against Inter, Chelsea's lack of creative spark -- namely in the center of the park -- was a killer. Aside from some runs by Flourent Malouda, there was nothing going for Chelsea, which dearly missed Ashley Cole, too.
The key now, for Chelsea is to figure out if its time to tear it all down and start a new run -- finally flushing away the core of the Mourinho team -- or supplement it with some new blood. You've already heard Fernando Torres name mentioned, and that's just the start. Expect a summer of Franck Ribery-to-Stamford Bridge stories to begin. (Is he that much better than Malouda, beyond his marquee value?) Hell, let's throw Wesley Sneijder's name into the mix, as a prototype of a creative player Chelsea needs.
Every player in Europe that isn't bolted down to the floor will probably hear his named bandied about toward Chelsea.
Me, I wouldn't tear everything down at the Bridge, just yet. You can probably coax another run out of the Terry-Lampard-Drogba core, at least in the Premier League. Anelka -- who's been pretty awful in 2010 -- should be out the door, in favor of a better complement to Drogba, or at least a little more pace (Kun Aguero? David Villa?). It's time for Ballack to pack his bags, too. (If I'm a team like Sunderland, Blackburn, Stoke, I'd make a run at the loathsome German ace, he'd be very useful marshaling the midfield for a midtable team for a year or two. As it stand he'd probably only settle for a club in the Champions League, and a Bundesliga club might be willing to pay for him, so it won't happen.)
One thing to consider with Chelsea, is that the Blues are a different squad with a healthy Michael Essien, who unlike John Obi Mikel, does more than just take up space and run into people, accruing a yellow brick's road worth of cards.
For Chelsea right now, even with Roman's billions, who is running the ship, since you'd think Carlo Ancelotti isn't long for England after Tuesday's KO.
Methinks after a couple years of somewhat penny, err, rubles-pinching, Uncle Roman is opening the piggy bank. Think the Yankees splurging for CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixeira last winter.
One MLS quibble:
* Here's my quickee take on the whole MLS-CBA-strike issue. It's a lot like the famous Robert Evans quote, "There are three sides to every story, yours, mine and the truth."
As someone that's not completely invested week-to-week by the league, here's my semi-detached question.
The only things cited by people who say a strike would be a disaster, are:
a) Philadelphia fans traveling for Thursday's opener at Seattle
b) Red Bull Arena opening. (I have tickets for RBNY/Santos, but had to pawn them off to my dad since I'm covering a high school championship basketball game at the same time. Grumble.)
Doesn't it make sense to reach a tenable deal for both sides, than rush something through? Missing a couple weeks of games to get the right deal that fits both sides wouldn't be the end of the world, no?
Hate to say it, but with the NCAA tournament in full bloom, the MLS going on strike is a lot like that old Chinese proverb of a "if tree falling in the woods, does it make a sound."
Having said that, I hope they avoid a work stoppage. (I have tickets to the Red Bull/Union match on March 27, after all.)
Saturday:
* Aston Villa v. Wolves -- (Live, ESPN2, 8:45 a.m.) Mini derby alert here, but that's secondary to Villa's pursuit of the Champions League. Martin O'Neill's crew did pretty good last week, taking four points from a pair of road matches. Villa is still on pace for fourth, trailing Tottenham by three with a game in hand on Spurs. Obviously they can't afford to stub their toe here, against a Wolves side that he proved pretty plucky plucky trying to cruise above the drop zone. Considering how toothless Wolves' attack is, I can't see them scoring on Villa. ... Villa 3, Wolves 0
* Everton v. Bolton -- (Live, FSC, 11 a.m.) Landon Donovan in MLS CBA limbo. Stuart Holden on the sidelines with a broken leg. Yeah, this one lost a lot of its juice for us in the States. In a blink of an eye Owen Coyle has Bolton ten points clear of the drop. How did this happen so fast? Was I asleep? The Trotters have settled on a lineup, and the pairing of Johan Ellmander and Kevin Davies seems to be getting the job done. Gary Cahill could be back, too. Still, Everton are just a little better, at Goodison Park. ... Everton 2, Bolton 1
* Portsmouth v. Hull City -- I guess if you're on Portsmouth you can't just give up, since you need to make yourself as marketable as possible for the summer. I know Jamie O'Hara wants to stick in the Premier League, if not when his loan with Spurs is over. How about Mark Wilson? (Okay, the rest of the team is pretty soup kitchen.) Now how will Hull react now that Phil Brown's would-be operatic singing is relegated to the shower? Iain Dowie? Well, I suppose he was available. His career track record? Not so good. His best spell as at QPR in 2008, going 8-3-4. It's not like he plays defense, because Hull's defense is an atrocity at the moment. Sorry Jozy. ... Portsmouth 3, Hull City 2
* Stoke City v. Tottenham -- (Live, FSC+, 10:45 a.m.) Show me something here Spurs. Cue up the Olivia Newtown John, because this game could get really physical. Be ready Tottenham. ... Stoke City 1, Tottenham 2
* Sunderland v. Birmingham City -- Back in October, I would have said Sunderland would've been the surprise of the season. Instead it was Birmingham. The pressure is off Sunderland a little bit and they're starting to play better. Allowing the Adam Johnson late leveler last week was tough, but I liked Sunderland's grit in that match. Birmingham? Don't get greedy this summer. ... Sunderland 1, Birmingham 1
* Wigan Athletic v. Burnley -- If the rest of the Premier League is "Seinfeld" during NBC's "Must-See TV" era, this game is the equivalent of "The Single Guy" or "Caroline in the City". For Burnley, we're in "Must win" territory the rest of the way. ... Wigan 2, Burnley 1
* Arsenal v. West Ham -- (Live, 1:30 FSC) West Ham are going to be in some trouble. Not sure they have the fight to stay up either. They're one team that doesn't seem to have the ability to play defense cohesively for the full 90, that's why Robert Green gets so many chances to impress Fabio Capello. It's hard to see anything other than an Arsenal stroll in this one. ... Arsenal 3, West Ham 1
Sunday:
* Manchester United v. Liverpool -- (Live, FSC+, 9:30 a.m.) Are we entering the "dead cat bounce" portion of the Liverpool season? Would a win over Manchester United at Old Trafford be enough to change the tenor of the year? Or the winning the Europa League? Considering the Red pure schizophrenic nature two-straight strong showings in a row? I doubt it. Fernando Torres should prove a good test to see if the Rio Ferdinand/Nemanja Vidic duo is back. Liverpool do have the talent to cause Sir Alex's club to stub its toe, but how are the Reds going to slow down Wayne Rooney? Unless Rafa pretends this is the second leg of a European tie, it doesn't seem likely. United wins, but it won't be easy ... Manchester United 2, Liverpool 1
* Fulham v. Manchester City -- Fulham can't afford a Europa league hangover. Well, they can, but will City be able to take advantage of it? He's not a sexy choice, but Roy Hodgson certainly could figure out a stable, winning lineup with all the talent on display at City, couldn't he? ... Fulham 1, City 2
* Blackburn v. Chelsea -- (Live, FSC, noon) Chelsea will not look old at Ewood Park. ... Blackburn 0, Chelsea 2
Last round: 9-2 (I'm surprised, too.)
Season: 154-134
Labels: English Premier League, Prem Picks, Soccer, youtube
Nice post, and thanks for that song, a-hole. Da, da daaah, da da daaah ...
Hodgson would not be the right choice for City. Not at all.
One might think that I wrote that last sentence just to calm my own fears about Uncle Roy leaving the Cottage (a little bit). But the reason that Hodgson would not be right for Manchester City is that they have too much talent.
Hodgson likes a team that works very hard in training and is super-fit (the ability to run all day kind of 'fit'). Hodgson ESPECIALLY likes players that will work his strategies on positioning, marking and the like without complaint and without the players getting distracted and 'freelancing' when they aren't supposed to.
Last season, Hodgson shipped out Jimmy Bullard largely because Rocky Dennis wasn't playing the position that Hodgson put him in. Bullard would run around and do his inspirational, creative stuff - but that is not what Hodgson wanted so he sold his (arguably) most talented player. Hodgson did get $5mil and free from Bullard before his injuries came back as well.
Hodgson would be all wrong for a team like Man City. Tevez, Ireland and Bellamy wouldn't toe his line and the departed Robinho would have never even gotten on the field. Owners of a Galacticos style squad want a coach who works with the star players to make the best possible results using the glittering pieces provided him. But, Hodgson adjusts his roster to reflect the way that HE wants the team to play. Hodgson, as much as I admire him, would be all wrong for Citeh. Hodgson is made for making the absolute best out of a middling squad, not for soaring to the heights with blazing, ultra-talented attackers.
Hodgson is a bit like what Bradley the Elder is supposed to be. Hodgson likes his formation and his strategy without too much improvisation from the players. This is why I suggest Hodgson get hired by USMNT as soon as he is done with Fulham. He would certainly get the best out of Deuce - but Freddy Adu would still not get a sniff.
Chelsea needs a plan B when they don't have Essien. THey can deal with most opponents, but the big games aren't won without the Ghanean...