It clearly does not take much to please
Claudio Ranieri.
Ken Bates might not prove just quite so accommodating.
Chelsea’s manager was all smiles after watching his cavalier side chuck
away two more points in a match there for the taking.
Their unbeaten record might remain intact, but this was the third time in
six Premiership matches that Chelsea have needlessly surrendered a lead.
They should be sitting pretty at the top of the Premiership right now.
Instead, they are buried deep in the pack and no closer to resolving their
problems than when Luca Vialli was axed a year ago.
For 45 minutes Chelsea were in total control. Yet all they had to show for
their supremacy was a single goal from the irrepressible Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.
And Ranieri confessed: "We do not seem to be able to concentrate for
the full 90 minutes and it is a problem for us.
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Slavic Jokanovic sends Rufus Brevett flying
Fulham |
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"It is difficult to change that. If I knew how to put things right
I would.
"We have spoken a lot about this problem but the only way things will
improve is by playing together more."
A more ruthless team would have had the points wrapped up by half-time,
but that would be too straightforward for Chelsea.
They prefer to toy with the opposition, to show off their superior skills
and garnish every move with elaborate flicks.
And, inevitably, they pay the price for their lack of a killer instinct.
Newcastle and Middlesbrough have already been allowed to cash in on Chelsea’s
indulgence this season. This time it was Barry Hayles’ turn to benefit.
The Fulham striker was first to react when Louis Saha’s second-half
header came back off a post, sweeping the rebound into the unprotected goal.
Yet for the previous 55 minutes Fulham had done little to suggest they were
capable of bridging the obvious gulf in class with their West London neighbours.
Nobody posed a greater threat to the Cottagers than Hasselbaink, who announced
his intentions as early as the second minute when he brushed aside Zat Knight
to rattle the bar with a dipping volley.
And Hasselbaink moved back to the top of the Premiership scoring charts
in the 32nd minute when he swivelled on to Boudewijn Zenden’s square
pass to dispatch a sweet left-footer past Edwin van der Sar.
It was a goal which had been on the cards for ages. Gianfranco Zola’s
fierce low drive had already been well turned round by Van der Sar while
Celestine Babayaro headed narrowly wide from John Terry’s brilliant
crossfield pass.
Watching England coach Sven Goran Eriksson could hardly have failed to be
impressed by Terry’s towering performance at the heart of Chelsea’s
ever-changing defence.
It was the arrival of Fulham substitute Luis Boa Morte which had the most
dramatic impact on the match.
Fulham midfielder John Collins admitted: "We had shown Chelsea too
much respect in the first half.
"But Luis helped us take the game to them after the break and I think
we deserved a draw for our second-half display."
Ranieri was not in the mood to disagree and was not even upset by the 80th
minute dismissal of midfielder Slavisa Jokanovic.
The no-nonsense Yugoslav had already been booked for a scything foul on
Rufus Brevett when he went to ground in a challenge with Steed Malbranque.
Jokanovic clearly thought he had been fouled and immediately snatched the
ball. Referee Graham Poll disagreed and awarded a handball in Fulham’s
favour.
Jokanovic threw the ball away in disgust and Poll was left with little option
but to brandish a second yellow card for dissent.
Suddenly Fulham sensed the opportunity to snatch victory from the jaws of
defeat and their prospects were further enhanced when Hasselbaink was reduced
to a limping passenger by a crunching Knight challenge.
But Ranieri insists his teams problems are not causing him sleepless nights
and promised: "I am sure it will all be resolved by the end of the
season."
Somehow I can’t see Chelsea’s long-suffering fans waiting that
long.
Nor Bates, for that matter.
SUN STAR MAN
EDWIN VAN DER SAR (Fulham). Priceless saves.
FULHAM: Van der Sar 8, Finnan 7, Melville 6, Knight 6, Brevett 6,
Goldbaek 5 (Boa Morte 7), Davis 6, Clark 6 (Malbranque 5), Collins 7 (Marlet
5), Hayles 6, Saha 6. Subs not used: Taylor, Symons. Booked: Davis
CHELSEA: De Goey 7, Gallas 7, Terry 7, Desailly 7, Melchiot 6 (Ferrer
5), Zenden 6 (Dalls Bona 5), Jokanovic 6, Petit 6, Babayaro 6, Hasselbaink
8, Zola 7 (Gudjohnsen 5). Subs not used: Bosnich, Aleksidze. Booked: Terry,
Gallas, Jokanovic, Desailly. Sent-off: Jokanovic
Referee: G Poll 6
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