Chelsea wobble in Spain, lose to Betis

Chelsea wobble in Spain, lose to Betis

By Myles Palmer

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SUB DANI of Real Betis scored a first half goal and Chelsea could not do anything about it.

Jose Mourinho tried everything, bringing on Drogba for Gudjohnsen, Shaun Wright-Phillips for Joe Cole, Duff for Robben.

A scrappy second half was marred by diving and time-wasting from Betis, just like Porto used to do to protect a lead.

Chelsea got ratty, gave away free-kicks, picked up five yellow cards, moved John Terry up to striker, but nothing worked.

When Lampard, Duff and SWP did create one good move, Essien's shot hit the post and bounced along the line and hit the opposite post.

On this evidence, when Lampard is rubbish, Chelsea are rubbish.

For from being the best player in the world, Frank Lampard is a method player in a method team.

A great pro who is the son of a pro.

He is the fittest and most consistent method player we have ever seen.

He's played more games and scored more goals than any other method player we have seen.

He does the simple things very well.A fine technician and a reliable team player in a team of team players.

But not a creative ball-holder.He doesn't have the disguise of a Figo, a Gazza, a Zidane, a Kaka.

Lampard can start a move, finish a move, and keep a move going, but he isn't so good at designing a range of attacks that can surprise defenders

The player who could have turned it round for Chelsea was the one Mourinho took off at halftime : Eidur Gudjohnsen.

They needed his brain, his calm link-play, his composure, to get their game going.

But he had missed a one-on-one with the keeper and he was taken off.

LUIS GARCIA at last produced a goal, a terrific header which was the second in Liverpool's 3-0 win over Anderlecht.

BEATING JUVENTUS 3-1 took too much out of AC Milan and they flopped in Eindhoven, losing 1-0 to an early goal by Farfan, the Peruvian winger who zoomed onto a Kaladze back-header and banged it in off the near post.

INTER came back from a stunning free-kick by Almeida of Porto to win 2-1 in an empty San Siro.

Lyon fought back from a goal down to beat Olympiakos 4-1, with John Carew getting two goals and an assist.

Real Madrid won 2-0 in Trondheim against Rosenborg.

Robinho is beginning to remind me of Bebeto, Romario.'s tiny half-striker pal in 1994.

Both are perpetual motion machines.

November 2nd 2005