Added: Feb 22, 2012
Author: givemefootballtv
Time: 0:59
Still alive, just. Both the team and the manager, that is.But as ragged Chelsea slipped out of the Stadio San Paolo last night, lucky that they had not been taken completely to the cleaners, the end of Roman Abramovich's affair with Andre Villas-Boas has never seemed closer.On a night when the Portuguese put his reputation on the line, he needed those players still in his camp to come to his aid.Yet they did not, could not, would not.Not even when they were handed the sort of gift goal you can never expect in the Champions League, ruthlessly taken by Juan Mata.Instead, appalling defending was exposed and exploited, Ezequiel Lavezzi scoring twice and Edinson Cavani grabbing the other, to leave Chelsea facing a mountain as big as nearby Vesuvius next month.Villas-Boas may have made a rod for his own back with his team selection but it was still put-up or shut-up time for the players too.And from the outset, as Napoli's movement caused no end of problems for the hesitant Gary Cahill and David Luiz, it looked a test they would flunk.Over-run in the middle of the park, where Raul Meireles was hopeless and Ramires little better - a penny for Frank Lampard's thoughts - only the athleticism of Petr Cech kept them afloat in the incessant Neapolitan rain.Cech made three key saves, one at the feet of Lavezzi, the second denying Cavani, and the third when Christian Maggio ran into the hole left by early arrival Ashley Cole, all inside the opening 20 minutes as Chelsea's defensive problems were laid bare.Yet, incredibly, after being gifted a joke opener against the run of play, Chelsea had the chance to potentially deal Napoli a fatal blow before the stunning end of the first period.That goal, put away with quality and assurance by Mata after sweeper and home skipper Paolo Cannavaro made a total hash of clearing Daniel Sturridge's optimistic ball into the box, undermined Napoli's belief.Mata was left frustrated and unmarked when Sturridge failed to pick him out but when the Spaniard delivered the resulting corner, Luiz beat keeper Morgan Di Sanctis to the ball, the goal unguarded eight yards in front of him but could not hit the target.It was the pivotal moment of the night, possibly the season, perhaps Villas-Boas' Chelsea reign.Within two minutes, Napoli were level, Chelsea simply failing to react as Cavani played in to Lavezzi, who eased away from Meireles - few Blues fans will rue the caution that means he misses the second leg - to curl past the exposed Cech.And with the San Paolo energised - Ramires squandered a chance to puncture the euphoria - Chelsea were soon behind, neither Cahill nor Branislav Ivanovic sufficiently alert as Gokhan Inler's shallow cross was pouched by Cavani.Chelsea were better at the start of the second half, Marek Hamsik hacking off his own line, Florent Malouda forcing a save from Di Sanctis, Mata's volley bringing the keeper to his knees, Didier Drogba's effort forced behind and Cahill heading wide.But in a game in which defending was an optional extra, the other end remained more of an open door than a solid wall, Lavezzi missing the target when unchallenged 12 yards out, Cavani revelling in the space he was left.On 65 minutes, though, the Argentine did not spurn the gift horse after Luiz let Cavani walk through his alleged challenge.Cech was committed, miles from his goal and while Cavani could have shot, he teed up Lavezzi for a simple finish.Villas-Boas summoned the old guard, sending on both Lampard and Michael Essien - in itself, surely, an admission of the price of pride - but while Chelsea pressed, they remained a shambles at the back.Without Cole's critical goalline clearance after Hamsik had teased and tormented to set up Maggio 10 yards out, it would surely have been all over, Villas-Boas walking the gangplank in the next few days.Luckily for Chelsea, Cole was there to bail out the manager who had left him out and had Drogba converted the substitute's late cross it might have looked very different.Yet it is hard to believe it is much more than a temporary stay of execution.Chelsea are a mess, with a manager who has lost control and a team that is close to mutiny. It has gone beyond a crisis, it seems.
Category: Sports
Tags: napoli 3-1 chelsea 21 feb 2012 avb interview all goals highlights
Rating: 2.6' max='5' min='1' numRaters='5' rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#overall ( ratings) View Count: 2223 Comments: 9
PMCHELSEA says:
Feb 22, 2012 - kick him out of the job. bring back the special one jm
Gman3419 says:
Feb 22, 2012 - your time is up!sorry AVB we really were very patient but the results are just BAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
lukewanty says:
Feb 22, 2012 - i dont know what the fuck is he doing, alex and anelka were good but he sold them, and now they are having a great start in their new clubs. sturridge is selfish as hell and torres cant even score, but he continues to use them. and also meireles, i dont know what on earth was he doing. when i was watching the game, napoli was far better than chelsea, chelsea only had LUCK to score first, but they played like a piece of shit. it should be 4:0 or 5:0 if chelsea wasn't that lucky. so fuck off AVB!!
fjkdfrefneklrj says:
Feb 22, 2012 - avb is shit,,,,sturridge?please he is terrible even when he is playing good still he is shit,he should play for norwich or something and cant fit in this side ever.this coach is not doing what he should,his visions are bad usually
fjkdfrefneklrj says:
Feb 22, 2012 - cahill?lol sturridge? ramirez? he is giving them a chance but its backfiring...
focusi1234 says:
Feb 23, 2012 - he has fucked up the team but as a CHELSEA fan we got to be honest most of them are past it
ericsmade says:
Feb 24, 2012 - His demeanour and attitude is one of I could not give a xxxx Surely its time for Abramovich to directly address him rather than use other staff to do it. I have no sympathy for him at all. This team is the only team in the past 7 years to have won 3 championships in England. Logically, he should be in the top 3 at least? It was like having a Ferrari and not being able to get fast quickly. Abramovich appears to be scared to sack him and it makes his treatment of Mourinho and Anchelotti clueless
TheCulturalBomb says:
May 20, 2012 - @focusi1234 So past it they just won the Champions League, LOL.
Torres77LFC1 says:
Feb 22, 2012 - naaa just quit