It is hard to stay optimistic (Chelsea 2- 1 Spurs)

Chelsea 2 Spurs 1

It is hard to remain optimistic, but I will try. 

The possession was almost 50/50, they, however, had seven shots on target to our three. Out of their seven, they managed to score two, while out of our three, we scored one. They had strikers, we didn’t (even though we got Parrott, Mourinho doesn’t want to use him), so we tried to make the best out of a lousy job. In the game against RB Leipzig, we managed to keep them out (apart from the penalty), and in the Chelsea game, we were never going to get a smooth ride, so considering, we did well. We’ve got talent, and it showed, we just couldn’t put our chances away.

Chelsea, the commentators claim, struck a significant blow in the fight for the top four places in the Premier League with a victory over us at Stamford Bridge. But let us look at the table, Chelsea, Spurs, Sheffield United and Manchester United are very close, points-wise. Between Chelsea in fourth and Spurs in sixth,^, there are only four points in it. Still all to play for. But it is going to be an uphill battle for us.

Commentators also called this a battle between Frank Lampard and his old mentor Jose Mourinho, we could have leapfrogged Chelsea with victory over them, but alas it wasn't to be... this time! And as for the “battle,” it was an unfair one as Mourinho had one hand tied behind his back. Under better circumstances (having strikers), and what I saw on that day, we might have won at Stamford Bridge (always look on the bright side of life, as somebody once said!).

Kicking off early (12.30) has positives and negatives effects. If you live a long way, away it can cause problems. On the other hand, you get to go home early. In this case, for me, it wasn’t an enormous problem. I got up at 6.30am, and after walking the dog, I left home and got to my cousins Susan’s house at 8.15am. I would have got their earlier if it wasn’t for J4B on the M4 closed (because of Bridgework). It put about 15 minutes on my journey. This meant I got a shorter time with Susan and Roger. From their house in South Ruislip to the bus, then a train from Ruislip Manor to Earls Court, and from there to Fulham Broadway. I got to the ground about 10ish. Met up with friends, chatted, also conversed with the Spurs Security, who I’ve got to know well over the years.

I remember going to Stamford Bridge in the 60s, then the stadium was more open. It had a running track around the ground. This newer version is more enclosed (it feels more claustrophobic).

The club was founded in 1905 but won their first significant honour in 1955 (the year I was born). That was the League title (Division one). In 1904, Gus Mears, acquired the Stamford Bridge athletics stadium, intending to turn it into a football ground. An offer to lease it to nearby Fulham was rejected, so Mears elected to found his own club to use the stadium. As there was already a team named Fulham in the borough, the name of the adjacent district of Chelsea was chosen for the new club. Other names like Kensington FC, Stamford Bridge FC and London FC were also contemplated.

It was actually on the 10 March 1905, at The Rising Sun pub (now The Butcher's Hook), which is across from the present-day main entrance to the ground on Fulham Road, where it was actually founded. Shortly afterwards they were elected to the Football League. A note of interest; Tottenham beat Wolvers in 1921, by a single goal (scored by Jimmy Dimmock), to win the FA Cup, and that was at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea were in the second division at the time.

Roman Abramovich had plans to redevelop the stadium, make it bigger, but that now has been put on hold. There has even been talk that he might sell up. If he did, it might be better to just bulldoze it all over and build expensive apartments… which probably would be a better use for the area. Do we really want another London Club, when we have the most excellent club in the world in N17? Anyway, enough of this frivolity, let get back to the disappointing day we had.

I must say, there was heavy security there. I had to be searched twice, my bag was searched twice, and finally, I was allowed through. God knows what they thought an old stiff was going to do? Probably they felt that I had it in me to take on the entire Chelsea Supporters. If I had it in me, then I would be fighting Tyson Fury, not walking through Chelsea with a walking stick. And on the subject of my walking stick, they took mine apart to check if there was some sort of sword hidden in it. Not only am I seen as a threat to Chelsea supporters and Tyson Fury, but I could also be another D'Artagnan. I must say, in my day... Anyway, that is another story. Now, I just get offered parts for the Walking Dead (and I don’t have to wear makeup, I’m told!). God bless ‘em!

So, we sat down to their fireworks… I felt the heat from where I was sitting. Talking about where I was seated… Heavens above (she said “I know love”)! I actually managed to sit, as the people in the front rows also sat, which made a change. Be thankful for small Murphies.

Lampard made four changes from the team that lost 2-0 at home to Manchester United on Monday, as they all made a contribution to only their second win in seven league games. Olivier Giroud, in for Michy Batshuayi with Tammy Abraham on the bench after injury, fired low past Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris for Chelsea's opener in the 15th minute after the recalled Ross Barkley hit the post.

All four of those brought into the team linked up for Chelsea's second three minutes after the break as Giroud's flick found Mason Mount, who played in Barkley. He produced a single pass to Marcos Alonso, who put one past Lloris.

Our day could have been even worse as lo Celso might have been sent off for a second-half challenge on Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta. The video assistant referee decided against punishment, although officials in Stockley Park later admitted a mistake had been made and he should have been sent off. My take on it, from watching the replay, was that he tried to steady himself (from falling over) and that was why it looked terrible (it's possible!).

We gave ourselves some hope, near the end when Erik Lamela's shot deflected in off Antonio Rudiger. If only the last ten or fifteen minutes was the same in the rest of the 75 minutes, then it could have been a different story.

That is my optimistic look at the game. Others may see it differently.

But we can’t cry over spilt milk. We now have to brush ourselves down and concentrate on our next game, against Wolves on Sunday. The season is not over yet.

After the game, I made my way outside where there was a posse of Tottenham supporters and Chelsea supporters egging each other on. Fights pursued, police jumped in, handcuffs were deployed, and arrests were made. It didn’t matter if there were kids there, woman, the vulnerable or even old farts like me, if you were nearby you got jostled, pushed, and a few got brutally shoved. The other police, those that weren’t jumping in, were too busy filming the episode, rather than taking care of the innocent bystanders. At least we all can rest assured that the police and Chelsea security got their priorities right… sod the people who were passing by.

 After that incident, I hastily walked to Fulham Broadway, caught the train… a Chelsea supporter offered me his seat, which I kindly took. When he got up and started to talk, I thought he was going to ask me if I thought about euthanasia… just shows you how easily we can misinterpret actions…

I arrived home sometime after 5ish.

By Glenn Renshaw

COYS!