Chelsea reflect on cruel ending

By Trevor Haylett

If the worst place to bow out of a competition is at the semi-final stage then imagine the despair experienced by Chelsea FC who for the second season running in the UEFA Champions League saw their dream of reaching the final crushed in the penultimate round.

Strong favourites
On both occasions they had been strong favourites to go through. A year ago their failure to defeat AS Monaco FC was largely put down to the tactical fallibility of previous coach Claudio Ranieri who gambled on winning the first leg in France when Monaco were reduced to ten men but instead saw his team lose 3-1.

Liverpool blow
Then came this year's disappointment at the hands of their Premiership rivals Liverpool FC. Again a promising position only set up Chelsea and their supporters for another helping of huge disappointment. Needing only a score draw at Anfield to claim a place in the Istanbul showpiece their target proved maddeningly elusive once more.

Domestic silverware
Chelsea can always raise their spirits with a visit to the Stamford Bridge trophy room which now proudly displays the Premiership silverware and English League Cup as evidence of the impact José Mourinho has had in his first season in London.

Coach frustrated
But the Portuguese newcomer has admitted that he has ended the term with feelings of frustration and would dearly love to be contesting the Champions League final. He will spend many summer hours analysing why that prize proved beyond them and how he can ensure that next year's quest ends in glory.

Inconsistent performers
Mourinho will reflect that Chelsea were not wholly convincing in their European games. When they were good they were very, very good as witnessed in the round of 16 and in the quarter-finals when they powered four goals past FC Barcelona and FC Bayern München at Stamford Bridge.

Leaky defence
However, although they became the first team through to the knockout stages on Matchday 4 they were not always as authoritative in the group games as their individual ability suggested they should be. They had a tendency to concede goals uncharacteristic of their Premiership form.

Miserly tendency
A soft goal beat them in Barcelona in the first leg of the first knockout round and they followed that by letting in three in the away leg in Munich although two of the goals came late with Chelsea holding a 6-3 advantage. Nevertheless, they were considerably tighter in the league, conceding just 13 goals in 36 games.

Attacking deficiency
But it was the games against Liverpool that most showed up Chelsea's shortcomings. In the first game Jerzy Dudek had very little to do despite Chelsea dominating possession and it was only in the latter stages of the second leg, with the Anfield club manfully defending the early lead given then by Luis García, that he was called into serious action.

Injured stars
Yet no one can deny that Chelsea's attacking threat was seriously blunted by the injuries which removed Damien Duff from both semi-final games and restricted Arjen Robben to only a substitute's role. Without their wing wizards, Chelsea lacked the width and nous to get round the back of a well-organised rearguard.

Renewed determination
Mourinho will be looking forward to having both Duff and Robben back fit for next season when the Champions League will be their prime target. There will also be new faces on show with the manager revealing that he will be targeting three new signings - a left back, a midfield player and a striker.