Soxy is doing well for Soton, they love him already and he's just scored his first goal for them (a deflected free-kick in the Carling Cup against Bristol City). Certainly better than Bridge, who still looks underconfident and too one-footed, though of course with a much longer shelf life and far less injury prone. Was gutted when he was "forced" out because it meant less and less continuity with the past, and because he didn't deserve that sort of treatment.

Trevor Birch, who was released as out chief executive when we nabbed Peter Kenyon from Manure, has now been appointed chief executive of Leeds, who recently revealed losses of around 50 million in addition to their outstanding debts of 77 million.

Chelsea 1-0 Man City (JFH)

Sole goal from a Mutu cross that Seaman let slip through his hands, leaving an astonished Hasselbaink to tap it into an empty net. Man City took it to us as expected, coming closest when Cudicini deflected a header onto the post. Bombarded us towards the end of the game as Ranieri threw on Huth and Geremi to defend, but we managed to keep a clean sheet against the team that has scored the most goals in the league so far (we equalled their tally of 20 goals after this game though).

Brilliant news on the other front as Manure went down 1-3 to Fulham at home, despite never having conceded any goals at home before this game. We are temporarily top again as Arse are playing Charlton on Sunday.

They kept grabbing Gronk's nuts!
Doesn't anybody think of the children anymore?

Gronk is an excellent substitute. Speedy terror for tired legs, and excellent bait for frustrated oppo players.

And, ehm, Bayer Leverkusen are top. Horrendous performance last season, narrowly avoided relegation and Toppmoeller getting sacked in February, but they're back in again it seems.

Perillo's report of the Lazio match --- as always, entertaining and fairly accurate.

Well, a quick scan down the page has revealed the usual nonsense I see! TBT. Shut up. Just shut up. No, really, shut the cattle truck ! Your drivelous bilge about "width" etc is just so laughable. So shut up and read a proper match report you tart!

One big wholesome poke in the eye for quite a few people tonight.

The team was fluid. It was the perfect starting line up, perfect "formation" - inasmuch as that formation was hard to contain and predict for Lazio. They did not know where Duff might go, or Veron. First half, magnificent performance, despite the lapse at the back post for their goal. Second half was breathless stuff and we looked very determined - as we did throughout really. This game was as much about character as it was skill. The right subsitutions too incidentally.

Carlo - made a fantastic save to keep out a late header. Looked steady enough apart form nearly knocking out John Terry

Bridge - hmm, I really do think this boy is out of his depth. The one footedness is very worrying. I mean, he is soooo one footed, he will not use his right foot to even pass it three yards. Really. You cannever question his effort. And it had nothign to do with this imaginary "exposure" on the flanks Tom!

Johnson - showed his inexperience on a number of occasions but had a terrific game

Terry and Gallas - very good indeed, although a bit dicey on set pieces.

Makelele - his best game for us I think. SImply threw himself into eveything.

Lampard - well, I am sorry but apart form his goal, which was excellent btw, he was, I thought, certainly up to the point he scored, cattle truck freadful. He has a worryingly "Wise-like" ability to bring the play down to a snails pace. After the goal he was better. The raving about his performance is simply absurd.

Duff - you know, he works his arse off this boy. But there was not a great deal of product tonight. Some fab, direct runs at the heart of their defence and he was moving around well. Still, a good performance.

Mutu - actually pretty poor tonight, goal notwithstanding.

Guddy - worked hard to pull people around at the back. Some lovely touches but not brilliant.

Gronk - came on, scuffed a cross, did cattle truck all else!! Actually no, a bit unfair, worked hard with little attacking product. His second cross was a Gronk special into the east stand. Yes, the east stand, he was on the west stand side ;-)

Which leaves VERON

Awesome. Any other suggestion, whatever, is unutterable rollocks He was EVERYWHERE, playing lovely QUICK passes (take note Frank), he terrified Lazio and his workrate was stunning. Easily my MOTM. And he was only on for seventy minutes. The suggestions that he "lost" the ball are rubbish. His use of it was exquisite at times, direct, zipped to feet around the box. One minute he was picking it up from Bridge near the penalty area, the next he was on the other side, zinging passes across the pitch, or making charging runs up the wing. It was magnificent.

A great night. Must have been good viewing for the neutral. The game in Rome is going to be cattle truck hard!
Mihailovic - jesus, what a lethal left foot he has. His delivery at set pieces was terrifying.

Chelsea 2-1 Lazio (S. Inzaghi, Lampard, Mutu)

First time since the Barca first leg that I've seen us play that kind of flowing, beautiful football. Dominated possession in the first half, Guddy and Mutu both squandering golden opportunities. Had big problems getting that final incisive pass in the last third of the field. Defence was looking shaky down the wings, with Bridge often having to deal with two attackers at once. Eventually a great cross from the right was headed on towards goal amid poor marking by Johnson, and Inzaghi popped up in front of Gallas to head in from close range. Chelsea retaliated at once but still couldn't find the net, Lampard agonisingly hitting the post with one of his characteristic shots from outside the box.

Second half started out same as the first half, we swallowed the Lazio midfield whole again. Had several close chances involving hair-raising moments in the box when we could have gotten into scoring positions. Finally paid off as Guddy broke off down the left and sent the ball back to Lampard in the centre, who met it first time with a perfectly placed shot into Peruzzi's top left hand corner.

We were on a roll now, Lazio were forced to come out of their defensive shell and leave more gaps at the back. Veron, who was unsteady at moments but compensated with his great distribution of play, was taken off for Gronk. The substitution had immediate effect as Gronk sent in a low cross from the right that found Mutu. His first shot was blocked by a defender but he managed to slot in the rebound.

After that it was back to same old Chelsea, as we sat back and gave Lazio several opportunities, including a low shot and a header that were both saved well by Cudicini. Geremi on for Duff, Cole for Mutu as we switched to full defensive mode and frittered away the injury time by holding the ball in Lazio's corners, annoying them immensely. As usual Gronk was involved. Was kicked about by the Lazio players as they took out their rage on him, and cost them two yellow cards in the time he was on.

Don't think anyone played badly. Surprised that Guddy started instead of Crespo (since Ranieri appears to like the idea of playing people against their former clubs), but he did well. I think him and Mutu make a good partnership, one great at winning the balls, holding them up and finishing, the other with his silky ball skills and astute passes. Bridge looked nervous and lacking in confidence, Johnson was slightly better (definitely more confident, but his crosses are still disapppointing) except for that goal. Gallas had a mediocre game, Terry was immense. Lampard was probably better than usual, though I felt he was underperforming until Lazio's goal, which seemed to galvanise him into action. Man of the match probably a toss up between Makalele and Duff, for very different reasons. Duff's crosses were disappointing although he terrorised the Lazio midfield and defence. Had much more success with his dribbling runs than he usually does in the Prem, usually he is fouled or barged out in midflight. Chelsea seem to be better suited to Serie A football, going on how we have to scrape together barely deserved results in the Prem but outplayed one of Italy's best.

Thank you Chelsea. I can't remember the last time I was actually glad to be awake. I needed that as much as you, and Ranieri, did.

Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea (Edu, Crespo, Henry)

Went according to the script then. Arse took an early lead with a deflected Edu free-kick. With a shaky central defence pairing of Melch and Huth, I expected to be slaughtered, but Geremi, Makalele and Lampard were tracking back diligently and covered the defence well. Crespo equalised with a perfect shot from far out that left Lehmann stranded.

They were all over us in the second half, hitting the post with a header and sending in numerous dangerous crosses as our fullbacks struggled.Then Pires sent in a pass that Cudicini looked to be scooping up comfortably, only to embarrassingly let the ball slip through his hands, and a grateful Henry tapped it in. Before this CR had switched to five in midfield and was obviously intending to play for a draw, but now he had to throw on JFH and Chelsea attempted to attack, but predictably were uninspirational without Duff.

So Arse are top again. 'Pool lost to Pompey, but I am not particularly delighted by that since I no longer consider them a serious rival. They have had three losses in a row now, to Charlton (Lisbie hat-trick), Arse and now Pompey, making it four losses already this season. They are utterly ordinary without Owen, and have been forced to play Heskey regularly since Baros was laid out with a broken ankle.

And before every game at Highbury there will be people saying that they have a gut feeling that it will be different this time, that this is when we'll finally do it. And it will still end in tears the next day.

Birmingham 0-0 Chelsea

One point enough to bring us top on goal difference. Poor first half, all over Brum in second half but unable to score.

Class insult from Perillo:
Half wit. How many formations does Ranieri use. Take a random six games and tell us what formation he has used? Movig your mouth and your fingers shows us you have motor functionmate but passing electricity through your corpse would have the same result.

Bah. England got through. Good in the sense that Eriksson will stay there at least for the summer and hence will not come to Chelsea too soon. Bad because I loathe them.

Whole furore before the match as Ferdinand was left out of the squad for "forgetting" to turn up for a drugs test. England players threatened to strike in a show of solidarity, predictably did not. Dull 0-0 draw with Turkey, Becks slipped and missed a penalty but they get through anyway.

After game, several players (Becks was one of them) mouthing off about how "they did it for Ferdinand". Terry had an immense game in place of him; I do feel sorry for him as his own teammates are behaving as though Ferdinand is indispensable, even after he conclusively disproved that. To quote the ever-succint Perillo: I wish he would have just turned to them all gave them the finger and walked off quietly after the absolute disgrace of last week and their a) absolutely cringemaking stupidity and half-wittery b) the implicit insults towards him. Why the cattle truck would you want to be part of that clique ridden bunch of merchant banker.

Am supporting Denmark and also Germany because: 1) everyone hates them, 2) I like their anthem, 3) I have a soft spot for Bayer Leverkusen and they have a few players in the national squad. Especially favour Bernd Schneider, who reminds me of Le Saux: underrated, works hard and looks rather nerdy. Carlsten Ramelow is practically a prototype of the perfect Aryan: Tall, fair and blonde. Defensive midfielder, near impossible to miss when he's on the field.

I'm probably biased, but I think they are a dark horse for Euro 2004. Everyone underrated them during the WC, but they seem to have dismissed them again. They may not be brimming with flair like France, Italy and Spain but Voeller has organised them into a more than credible team. Better than England anyway. The English are especially exaggerating their superiority over the "Krauts" because of that 5-1 win in the last WC qualifiers, and also because they hate them intensely, though perhaps slightly less than France and Holland do.

Excellent post by The Count of Mutu Crespo:

The Gospel According to Saint Polish
And it came to pass that the warriors of the tribe of Angles didst travel on a crusade to the land of the infidel. And heavy were the hearts of the Angles, for one of their number had been denied the right to accompany them, causing the warriors to declare: "Verily, if Rio stayeth, we all stayeth" To which the prophet of the Angles, the Viking Sven didst reply: "Stop fecking about and getteth on the plane!" and the warriors said: "Anything thou dost say Sven. Bye Rio!" And the Angles in total solidarity with the warrior Rio left for the crusades.

And when the warriors of the Angles took the battlefield, the chieftain who is called Beck-ham, the consort of Queen Posh of Spice, didst have a smiting opportunity that is called a penalty. Smug was the chieftain as he steppeth up to plant the smite, for he had never missed one of these. But lo! A divot didst attack the ponytailed one and cause his arse to make acquaintance with the pitch and the ball to make acquaintance with row Z. And the infidel warrior Alpay didst mock the chieftain Beckham, saying "Ner ner ne ner ner, thou couldst not hit a cow's arse with a banjo". And Beckham didst gnash his teeth, saying: "Watch it buster, I can be quite 'ard you know" and the infidel Alpay didst assault the chieftain with a finger, causing the one who doth sit in judgement, who is called Collina the slaphead to bangeth their heads together at half time.

And the Angles and the infidels didst fight a mighty battle unto the end, in which the warrior Heskey acquitted himself as usual like a crippled donkey.

And the warriors of the Angles, who did count among their number the child warrior Rooney, Scholes the Ginger one, and James the guardian of the posts who didst concede smites against the Gillinghamites, didst succeed in wasting enough time unto 94 minutes and returneth home in glory, and all remembered to attend for routine drug screening.

Amen

Middlesbrough 1-2 Chelsea (Gudjohnsen, Nemeth, Crespo)

Chelsea were the better team in the first half. Opened scoring when Lampard won the ball well from Boateng, sending it to Duff who fed a nice through-ball to Guddy, who calmly slotted it past the near post. Was glad to see the familiar "ice-cool" composure he had lost over the last two seasons.

Boro had their fair share of possession (Chelsea playing far below their potential, as usual) but could not find that crucial spark of creativity in the final third. Huth, standing in as both Gallas and Dessa were injured, looked nervous and was the cause for much of Boro's apparent threat.

Terry could have given us a crucial cushion when he lost Mills to meet Lampard's freekick with a header that crashed off the crossbar.

Crespo on for JFH, who had been poor, for the second half. Which got off to the worst possible start as Boro equalised within 20 minutes. Huth lost possession just outside the box, and Nemeth pounced on the through-ball to score.

Boro continued flying. Mendieta was dominant, leaving Duff and Bridge trailing in his wake as he created chance after chance from the right. Huth continued his game of nerves, though he did have some soild moments as well. We were effectively penned in our own half, and kept losing the ball stupidly. Only chance of note came with a trademark Huth freekick blaster that took Schwarzer by surprise, causing him to deflect it awkwardly for a corner. Weathered the storm, however, and by the 80th minute it looked like the worst was over and 1-1 would be the final result. Mutu was thrown on for Guddy, who had an anonymous second half, not helped by the almost complete lack of service. Boro had worked tremendously hard in the second half and only a lack of finesse in front of goal had prevented them from scoring three or four. I almost felt sorry for them, therefore, when Crespo headed in from close range Duff's excellent cross from the right on the 89th minute. Certainly an undeserved win, judging by all criteria except finishing ability.

Duff looks to be a luxury player - tends to lose possession easily when physically attacked, but yet we need him to provide that crucial final pass - as he did for both the goals against Boro. Gronk is slightly better physically, but tends to send his passes awry in dangerous positions, and only about 1 in 10 of his crosses actually find a Chelsea player. Was as usual frustrating against Boro, dashing down the flanks with great speed but triggering sneers with his final ball. Makalele was average, played the Petit role well in the first half but got somewhat lost in the maelstrom of the second half Boro revival. Lampard was piss poor, not only losing possession countless times but also sending passes awry, booting pointless long balls, etc. However he has had several similar performances this season - being generally poor for most of the match but saving the day with a crucial move, as he did with that tackle on Boateng that led to the first goal. Terry had to marshall a very young back four and did all right. Bridge was mediocre as usual and simply not up to the task of managing Mendieta. Johnson was slightly better, but that may have been due to the lack of serious threats on Boro's left.

Chelsea 0-2 Besiktas (Yalcin [2])
Official Chelsea Website Report:

A black, black night for Chelsea against the Black Eagles of Istanbul has brought only our second ever defeat at home in European competition - and we cannot say it wasn’t deserved. With only two Chelsea shots on target all night, a lifeless display was shot down by two goals from international striker Sergen Yalcin.
The main damage was done in a first-half which started to go wrong from the 22 minute when Claudio Ranieri was forced to make an unforeseen change.
Celestine Babayaro, who had started at left wing-back in a 3-5-2 formation, appeared to be struck by a groin strain and was replaced by Wayne Bridge, though that was looking but a minor hiccup just two minutes later when Chelsea fell behind.

Ilhan Mansiz shaped to shoot from a free-kick but with Chelsea slack in marking-up, the ball was played down the left flank for Ibrahim who crossed for Sergen Yalcin to poke the ball in via a deflection off John Terry.

It took just four minutes for the deficit to double and it was horrible to watch. A simple long punt down field reached the opening scorer with a back-tracking Desailly stumbling in his wake and when Cudicini’s rescue sprint overshot its target, the Turkish target man didn’t waste the gift.
Chelsea hopes of a Champions League cruise to the knockout stages were beginning to shred in front of our eyes.

We were only putting the visitors’ goal under threat in fitful bursts. The Argentinian combo of Crespo and Veron had been the first to show, Crespo bursting through and shooting over in the opening minutes while Veron scuffed a shot when well placed after an exchange of passes with his compatriot had taken him into the box.

Lampard’s driving runs through midfield looked Chelsea’s most potent weapon while Mutu occasional threatened to conjure up something.

As half-time approached, the best flowing move of the half started with Crespo neatly backheeling to Bridge who crossed. The ball flicked off the head of Mutu but agonisingly just too far behind Lampard to get a proper shot away.
Veron tried his luck from distance and Mutu and Geremi both had efforts blocked but still the keeper was yet taste to turf.

Ranieri was unlikely to let this state of affairs continue without redeploying his troops and at half-time he withdrew both Crespo and Mutu, replacing them with Duff and Hasselbaink.

This meant a change in shape with the defence now becoming four and Geremi and Duff pushing forward on the flanks to support Hasselbaink.

What it also meant was that Chelsea had no more substitutions in the locker and therefore were vulnerable to further injury. The gods chose to frown down on us within minutes of the change when Gallas injured a leg in a challenge.

He continued on hobbling but the game was now effectively eleven against ten-and-a-half. That was until six minutes into the half when the balance swung back our way.

Ilhan Mansiz, the golden pretty boy of Turkish football suddenly turned all tarnished and ugly when he chipped the ball over Cudicini and into the net after the referee had halted the game due to an offside flag.

Having done similar just before the break and seen a yellow card then, this moment of imbecilic irresponsibility must be the stuff that turns managers grey as the game became ten-and-a-half versus ten.

It was a boost to morale but the problem remained that our numerical advantage was against a side who already enjoyed the insurance of a healthy lead. We still needed to find someway of penetrating the defending Turks.

This Besiktas side may not have the greatest record on their European travels but it was clear for all to see they were determined and skilled. The game failed to turn into the siege the Chelsea fans were willing on but there were chances.

With 57 minutes gone, Lampard surged once again down the flank and crossed excellently with his left-foot but Veron, rising at the far-post, headed off target. Then Frank volleyed disappointingly as the ball bounced around the area.

The task was made all the more difficult when following two quick succession tackles, Gallas’ hobble began to resemble Long John Silver. He was persuaded to continue but could only supply nuisance value up front.

Understandably the performance became ever more fragmented and shapeless with almost all attacks sent down the left through Bridge.

He hung over a succession of crosses but to the best, Hasselbaink could only stoop and head against an opponent. Then Duff saw a shot blocked.

Besiktas’ limited attacking intentions by this stage were as predictable as their time-wasting although they were clearly not attacking under managerial instruction. Their Romanian boss man, Mircea Lucescu, almost did his nut as he saw two of his charges booked for their slow march to the dug-outs when substituted.

With other similar cards following, might there be a price to pay in suspensions when these two teams meet in the final group game?

Into the last ten minutes, Geremi curled a free-kick several yards wide and Hasselbaink repeated the feat from further out with two minutes of normal time remaining, but we could do nothing to suppress the vociferous visiting fans celebrations. Their own rendering of ‘Kalinka’ at the end only emphasised the pain.

In this season’s European campaign, there is now some serious work to do

Chelsea 1-0 Aston Villa [JFH]

Poor, scrappy performances from both teams. Moment of brilliance in the first half won us the game. Veron fed Lampard, who turned brilliantly and unleashed a fierce shot that Sorenson parried into JFH's path for an easy tap-in.

Nothing much to talk about for the rest of the match. We were even poorer in the second half and Villa could easily have snatched it if Angel had been more effective in front of goal. Villa had not a single shot on target; all their chances were sent wide by him.