Could have been worse

Toon 0 Chelsea 2

Interesting day yesterday. It was my first visit to the cathedral that is SJP for at least 2 years (I'm in exile at the moment, where people talk oddly and have barm cakes rather than stotties) and we were playing a team in 2nd place in the league with every chance of still winning the championship. The sort of game that you travel to more in hope than anticipation. I was also taking my 14 year old nephew for his first visit, trying to make sure that he escapes the clutches of the evil red manure machine.

The ground was as impressive as ever, and certainly noisier than the last time I went. Playful goading of the Chelsea fans was mildly entertaining.... apparently they are going to somewhere in Eastern Europe shortly... for some cup.... They hadn't sold out the away section, which is odd seeing as the game was advertised as a sell out.

The first half was close and EMO should have scored with one that looped over the bar and John Terry cleared one of the line. Most of the creativity seemed to come from Martins (again) What was entertaining was the complete inability of the Chelsea strikers to get a shot even remotely on target. I made the mistake of telling the bloke next to me that there was no way Chelsea would be that poor in the second half (actually, I must learn to stop half time predictions, they always end in disaster) I was right. Ballack and Malouda scored goals of indifferent quality as Chelsea completed a standard win for them.

For us, I thought that Taylor and Faye both had good games, and Geremi and Smith were poor. And, please will someone teach Jose Enrique to pass the ball to a team-mate? As for Chelsea - Drogba was a characture of a world-class striker... Stroppy, petulant and fragile. He was rightly booed for being all of the above as well as generally rubbish.

But my real bile was saved for John bloody Terry (I should declare previous here; I've disliked him ever since I saw a documentary on footballers when he admitted to not knowing how to cut his own toe-nails as he has always had someone to do it for him). He is the emblem of everything that is wrong with football - arrogant, spoilt and bullying. He screamed at the referee (who was intimidated, so I guess it was effective) and both our players as well as his own. Odious and hideous footballer... I'd guess he craves respect, but seems to me to be all bluster and no thought. He's a decent player, but not as good as he thinks he is.... Rant over...

As for my nephew? I think he enjoyed the day, I looked round at one stage and he was caught up in abusing the ref for a decision that had gone against us... I have a sneaking suspicion he's hooked... My work here is done.