10 maj 2010
FA YOUTH CUP CHAMPIONS
COMMUNITY SHIELD CHAMPIONS
BARCLAY'S PREMIER LEAGUE CHAMPIONS
skytteligavinnare Drogba
vinnare Gyllene Handsken Cech
Målrekord

Denna artikel har också publicerats på Chelsea Vital:

Shared Joy, And What A Joy

A few of the oldies here might recognise me. VitalChelsea was a big and joyous part of my life for a long time.

Today I just feel that I want to be part again and share the wonderous joy of this weekend`s events. With you, fellow Chelsea nuts from all over the world. The best people and the best fans in the world.

I have spent my energies, Chelsea-energies, on my Swedish fan site lately. After all, the Chelsea Swedish Fan Club was once one of the oldest and biggest supporter clubs for Chelsea in the world outside England. But that is not enough now, my joy and pride today is something I want to share with Chelseafans worldwide. CHAMPIONS.

An 8-0 thumping of a decimated but still helpless Wigan on the final day when nerves ran raw up and down my vintage Chelsea shirt like electricity gone haywire in an old tesla-station… Can it get better? Yes, a double (or in reality a treble, don`t forget beating ManU at Wembley in August) might just be even better.

Of course I believed by every fibre in my body that Chelsea would win against Wigan. I stated unequivocally that if Chelsea got an early goal and preferably a second it would be a big win. I thought 5-0 was very optimistic. Getting the biggest win in our history on such an important day when so much was at stake, well that was more than I ever could expect or hope for.

There was only one sad thing, due to things happened in the backwater town I live in now, I had to share my joy and pride only over the phone with my mates, in front of the tv. And on the internet of course as everyone I know somehow got a celeberatory email from me. Not boastful at all, ok, not incredibly boastful or in anyway modest.

I have since day one of this season claimed that Chelsea will win the title. I believed in every cell of my body that we had the best squad in the land. Still Chelsea made it hard with a strange season where the best football ever played by Chelsea was mixed with heartbreaking displays of overconfidence and neglecting the opposition. (Even the Tottenham players talked about how Chelsea underestimated them in a very decisive game, that actually helped them to the 4th spot. By the way, how can a manager only managing a 4th spot be the Best Manager of the Year compared to one that win the league and can win the cup? I have only one answer, his nationality.).

It has been nervewrecking seeing Chelsea slip up time and time when they really should gone ahead and won the league by at least ten points.

Still, let us forget that and revel in the games, the records, all the goals oh these glorious goals. Too many to remember, but Drogba`s backheel handling of the ball before the exact pass to Kalou in the 7-0 thumping. Or Joe Coles delicate flip in the United game. Or Drogba`s goal in that game, that it might have been offside just made it more delicious after all the ref-whining we heard from Stretford. Putting Arsenal and their even more whiney manager in place by big numbers in our last couple of games. There can be no wine tasting better than that in the world. Winning all the games against the former Big Four clubs and only conceding one goal. There can be no food sweeter than that in the world. (And watching Liverpool slip away from being a Big Four club to one I think will struggle even more until they find some oil sheik owner…or a miracle manager. I am not convinced this year is a one-year happening for them)

We have set so many new records this year it is like stocking time every weekend. Three wins by scoring seven goals and one by scoring a record eight! 103 goals in the league, another 35-40 or so counting all competitions. I can easily forget the lesson in football tactics JM gave us. I still hurt more at the City defeat at home or that ludicrous draw Everton got after getting the three luckiest goals ever conceded. Next year though dear grumpy Carlo, we need to improve on our travels. Give us a wave, give us a smile. You know that you are a happy camper today!

I love JM and will root heavily for him in Madrid two weeks from now. But honestly, I have enjoyed not having the tabloids and other fans screaming in my ear about the behaviour of our manager. Carlo is the ultimate gentleman manager, in the country that invented the gentleman (and have given us a couple not so gentlemanly managers). I think Carlo have given us not only attacking football where JM was happy to settle for a win, but also a managerial style outclassing the competition.

I absolutely fecking love the interchangeable, attacking Chelsea that always try to score more goals, even after so many nervous starts. I love seeing how all the players change positions and run rings around their opponents. I adore the 103 goals, I have to say that the petulance Drogba showed after Lampard (rightly) took the first penalty is simply lovely. That is was drives Drogba, the at least second best forward in the world this season (yes, I know Wayne Rooney has been fantastic, I just happen to think Drogba has been better as probably Messi). He was childish, churlish and silly like a kindergarten boy having lost his sand box lorry, but that is what makes him Drogba. National hero and one of the hundred most influential people in the world! And he asked for our (and Lamps) forgiveness and gave us a hat-trick to make up for his antics. I love Drogba as much as I ever loved Osgood, Bonetti and the heroes of my youth. It tooks time before I fell in love with him, but how I love him now. His heart, his ability, his goals, his temper, his faults, his good sides. He really cares. It comes in a package better than anyone, and has there ever in the history of football been a better forward at the age of 31? NO!

Frank Lampard. The classiest, most underrated and best English footballer of the last 50 years if you ask me. It took some time before his play and Carlo`s tactics clicked, but when they clicked….`Nough said. (No, I just have to address the incredible English shame of Lampard not being in that joke PFA thing team! Shame England).

JT. I love you on the pitch. Off, well let me keep quiet.

Ashley Cole, what goals you have scored this your best ever year in the blue shirt.

Petr Cech. Back to his greatness. He got unfair criticism in the beginning of the season for mistakes the defenders caused him. He won the golden glove with 17 games without conceding (ok, shared it with Pepe Reina who played more games).

Alex, I have always liked you. You are the best blocker in the game and in my eyes the absolute JT partner of today. You also are one scary looking defender, as some forwards bucked out to show.

Florent Malouda. Hiddink knew how to use you. Ancelotti has gotten the best ever out of you. I voted for Drogba as Player of the Year, Malouda was second with Frank Lampard. I am glad the players gave their accolade to Florent with the "strange" hairdos.

Le Sulk, OK, you do not deserve that moniker anymore. I think you have had a great season, maybe the best in your career. You are not the goalscorer anymore, but your work rate, your unselfishness. You have won me over Nicolas Anelka. You and the Drog are the best forward pair in the world, even better than Eto`o-Milito, not to mention C Ronaldo-Higuain or Messi-Ibrahimovic.

There are so many more I would like to talk about. Bosingwa, the best RB in the league before his injury. His replacement Branislav Ivanovic twho has been sensationallly good in his second best position. Zhirkov, you make us almost forget Ashley Cole….

I will however mention one more, that is Michael Ballack. Always underestimated by the media and many, too many, fans. Always loyal, always right, always there. Our Scarlet Pimpernel. In Chelsea you have been asked to play a totally different game than in Germany and how you have done it. There is no one in the entire team I wished for this victory more than I wished it for you. I do hope you stay on another season, trying for that elusive CL-victory. (Next year I am ok with Chelsea going almost all out for that, I can take not getting the domestic honours one year!). I hope that one day everyone will understand as Carlo, Guus, Avram and José have, how important Michael Ballack really is and has been for Chelsea despite not beeing the most speedy of the players that always run the most on a pitch. To me Michael Ballack is the unsung hero of Chelsea.

I know I am leaving great players out. Please forgive me for that. Not forgetting the incredible group of youngsters we are getting now. The U-18`s that won their greatest honour. Stoch, Mancienne, Cork, Bertrand and other loanees. Some of you will come back only to be released (Sinclair, Di Santo…) other will have to fight it out with the new young bucks, Bruma, van Aanholt, Borini, Kakuta, Matic, Hutchinson (if all his injuries does not stop his Chelsea career). Sir Rednose complained last year about the age of our team, I guess age showed him - and we have the most promising kids too…. How will the others ever catch up? ;-)

There will be changes over Summer and I want to thank the ones leaving from the bottom of my heart for what they have given Chelsea FC this year.

Thank you Chelsea, thank you Roman, thank you Arkadiy, thank you Carlo, thank you Roy, thank you all the players. And above all thank you all others that love Chelsea!

And now, on for the double!