Results tagged “Chelsea” from SAFC Banter - Join the debate with Sunderland fans, staff writers and club legends
I've just been watching Sky Sports News' review of the season, in which they go around the grounds of the Premier League throughout the season and ask the fans who they think is the player of the season. Suggestions put forward were Deco, Steven Taylor and Johann Elmander. I know, ridiculous.
Even when Ryan Giggs was crowned as the Players' Player of the Year award I was surprised. He's made 15 league starts this season, and although he has been almost omnipresent in the Manchester United team since the Premier League began, surely this season's award can be attributed to be more of a Player of the Season's than for this years performances.
Steven Gerrard won Football Writer's Player of the Year and that is justifiable, but for me, there is only one man who deserves the title of Player of the Year. You can keep your sulky Ronaldo's your broody Berbatov's and your vicious Vidic's, give me fabulous Frank Lampard.
Lampard has started all 37 of Chelsea's Premier League games this season, playing 3299 minutes of football and scoring 12 goals. I was a Lampard-sceptic at the start of the season, but after covering a handful of Chelsea games I was won over by the man's class, style, grace and effort. His work-rate is second to none, his vision impeccable and his decision making exact.
He has not just starred in the league this season though, he's made ten Champions League appearances, 877 minutes worth bagging three goals and five assists in the process. He's scored a further four goals in domestic cup cometitions and also won the Chelsea Fan's Player of the Year award.
All in all, it's not been a bad year for Lampard, the only thing that was missing was a bit of silverware. There's always next year...
NICK COLGAN'S return to Stamford Bridge at the weekend turned into a nightmare - but the Sunderland shot-stopper is backing the Black Cats to bounce back against Portsmouth on Saturday.
Colgan was given a good reception by the Chelsea fans on his return to the club where he started his career, but Sunderland's back-up keeper could only look on from the subs' bench in awe as the Blues hammered the Wearsiders 5-0.
I WONDER if Roy Keane is a James Bond fan because Sunderland's manager has been doing his best to appear cool, calm and collected under pressure these last few days.
Keane even managed a little smile and a joke in front of the television cameras after the Black Cats were thrashed 5-0 at Chelsea last weekend, but I bet he wasn't really in a jovial mood. He was similarly affable after the 1-0 defeat at Stoke and you can bet he was raging inside after such an abject showing from his players.
No matter that Sunderland were in good company following Arsenal's defeat by Stoke at the weekend, that defeat was a major setback and raises some worrying question marks about the mentality of his squad.
ROY KEANE has no intention of pointing fingers at his players after Sunderland were mauled 5-0 at Chelsea.
Instead, Keane simply pointed to the gulf in class between Phil Scolari's title contenders and his own side, insisting there was "no shame" in losing to a team of Chelsea's quality.
Sunderland were blitzed by the Blues, with Nicolas Anelka claiming a hat-trick while Frank Lampard and Brazilian defender Alex piled on the pain for the Wearsiders on an afternoon of torrential rain in south-west London.
DEAN WHITEHEAD believes attack may be the best form of defence for Sunderland at Chelsea.
The Black Cats skipper reckons it would be folly to sit back and try to keep Phil Scolari's galaxy of stars at bay for 90 minutes.
But Sunderland's attack looked blunt in their midweek defeat at Stoke, and the Wearsiders will have to improve significantly at Stamford Bridge if Whitehead's strategy is to work.
SUNDERLAND 0 CHELSEA 1
Chelsea skipper John Terry ended his 19 month goal-drought to sink Sunderland at the Stadium of Light and keep the Blues' title challenge alive.
Terry scored the only goal of the game, heading home a Frank Lampard corner in the ninth minute.
Sunderland put in a good performance and probably deserved a point, but they were unable to convert any of the chances that came their way.
Defeat means Sunderland stay fifth-bottom and two points clear of the relegation zone but both Birmingham and Bolton beneath them have games in hand.
CHELSEA 2 SUNDERLAND 0
Sunderland paid the price for being too timid at Stamford Bridge - they showed Chelsea too much respect.
After their 7-1 hammering at Everton in their last away game, there had to be a degree of caution at the weekend because another mauling would have been a real confidence-sapper.
And Roy Keane probably made the right call by playing 4-5-1 with Kenwyne Jones as the lone striker. It was a policy that worked to good effect at Manchester United and Arsenal, with Sunderland giving a good account of themselves at Old Trafford and the Emirates Stadium despite losing by a single goal on both occasions.
But Sunderland never gave Jones the kind of support he needed from midfield, which meant Chelsea's defence were given an easy afternoon.
