A blog of two halves

Singing about legs

They’ll write folk songs about Brad Guzan’s legs. Every goal in Chelsea’s 3-0 victory against Middlesbrough on Monday night either went off or through the hapless keeper’s pins.

9 May 2017
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Chelsea’s Diego Costa scores against Middlesborough. PICTURE: ACTION IMAGES

They'll write folk songs about Brad Guzan's legs. Every goal in Chelsea's 3-0 victory against Middlesbrough on Monday night either went off or through the hapless keeper's pins.

To be fair, the Boro goalie made several saves with his legs as well. But mostly he was nutmegged and embarrassed.

Not that his team-mates had anything to crow about.

Boro slumped back down to the Championship with barely a whimper, while Chelsea are poised for glory.

And if success can be achieved with two league games remaining, Tony Conte will be able to rest key players (N'Golo Kante needs at least another week's recovery time) ahead of the FA Cup Final.

Goals from Diego Costa (No20 for the season), Marcos Alonso and Nemanja Matic swept Boro aside, as Roman Abramovic – roaring them on from his plush padded seat in the west stand – watched with glee. It was also one of Cesc Fabregas's finest displays in a blue shirt.

Champions League football is heading back to Stamford Bridge, and a serious shuffle of the pack is expected in the summer.

Despite Costa's goal, through the famous legs of Guzan, he remains a grumpy, tantrum-ridden soul, constantly complaining, growling and hobbling about; a footballing hypochondriac whose antics grow tiresome. He will be permitted to go to China, for a fee which will then be passed elsewhere for a striker replacement. All efforts will be made, however, to hang on to Eden Hazard.

Conte's passionate touchline display on Monday evening at the Bridge underlined the bond that has instantly developed between fans and manager.

At one time it would have been unthinkable to say it, but Jose Mourinho's era is fading from view. The Conte age could prove every bit as exciting.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and unless specifically stated are not necessarily those of Hammersmith & Fulham Council.

Tim Harrison

Tim is our Chelsea FC blogger.

He also writes our Shepherds Bush Cricket Club match reports during the football close season.

Tim has been writing Chelsea match reports since the late 1980s for newspapers and, more recently, websites.

When he first reported on the Blues, the press box was a metal cage suspended over the lip of the old west stand - and you reached it via a precarious walkway over the heads of the fans.

But he has been a Chelsea fan since his father took an excited seven-year-old to watch Chelsea v Manchester United in the mid 1960s... and covered his ears every time the chanting got too ripe.

In July 2005 he wrote The Rough Guide to Chelsea, published by Penguin, which sold 15,000 copies.

His favourite player of all time is Charlie Cooke, the mazy winger who lit up Chelsea's left wing in the 60s and 70s.

When he isn't watching the Blues, Tim acts, paints, writes and researches local history.

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