Well, here’s to another pathetic season in the Premier League..
That was a huge anti-climax. Sorry for the pessimistic beginning.
Kids, let’s rap (to my readers: please don’t expect a song-like article with rhymes :/). Where are we in the Barclays Premier League table and where are our opponents? Let’s just leave the Manchester teams behind for a minute and concentrate on the third, fourth and fifth place. Here’s the table:
3. CHELSEA FC. Played – 34. Goal difference – +33. Points – 65
4. Arsenal. Played – 35. Goal difference – +30. Points – 64
5. Spuds. Played – 34. Goal difference – +17 (lol). Points – 62
(6. Everton. Played – 35. Goal difference – +14. Points – 59)
Looks great, doesn’t it? Well…’great’ is probably a bit too much, but it looks as if we’re in a pole position to challenge the 3rd spot with 1 point ahead of Arsenal and with a game in hand. But that game…well, that will be one hell of a game – against Spuds at our home – Stamford Bridge. Last time we faced Spuds, it was at Three Point…pardon me…White Hart Lane and we played a fantastic game. 0-1 up at HT, down 2-1 before the 60th minute and 2-4 up after the final whistle was blown. Robbie Di Matteo was still in charge.
Now Rafa Benitez is in charge. But we’re currently in a decent winning streak. However, there’s a big BUT – before we face Spuds on 8 May, we have to play against Manutd on 5 May. Well, that sucks, excuse the expression. And let’s not forget that before these two very crucial games, we have to play against Basel on 2 May.
Let’s face it, ladies and gentlemen, things aren’t looking very good. Games on the 2nd, 5th, 8th, 11th of May…and then on the 19th of May (nice date for our last Premier League game, eh?). And all of these 5 games are crucial. Let’s not forget that we’ll probably knock Basel out and we’ll face Benfica/Fenerbahce in the Europa League final. How will Rafa deal with all these games? A few minutes before I started writing the article I was saying on Twitter that if I start thinking about this, my mind will go crazy. Well, here’s to another right prediction.
1. Basel (home): I predict a draw that will send us to Amsterdam. Simple as that. I don’t think we should underestimate Basel but I think we should also have confidence in ourselves and play a decent game but without putting TOO MUCH effort in it.
2. Man Utd (away): Let the crucial games begin. And what better place than Old Trafford? Yes, of course I’m being sarcastic…uhh…I reckon we can get a draw. Manutd were terrible vs. Arsenal, they totally have nothing to fight for anymore. Why not playing with some youngsters and help us seal three important points? Right, who am I kidding? Sir Alex would rather play with his ‘UCL final’ team than to give us easy three points, the old fuck…Anyway, I predict a draw, again. 1 point is better than 0.
2. Spurs (home): The most crucial of all games, this one. AVB will surely look for revenge on his return at Stamford Bridge. God, I hope he doesn’t get it. I don’t really know what team will Rafa choose, given his rotation tactics and that we have a game three days before that (Manutd). I pray that we win this game. We won vs Swansea which was very important so I believe in the lads. I predict a win. 1 + 3 = 4 points so far.
3. Aston Villa (away): I don’t mean to offend or underestimate Aston Villa too much but I think this might turn out to be our easiest game of this series of crucial games. I hope I’m not wrong. I predict a win. 7 points in three games. God, please help us. (You know it’s tough for me and my mind is going crazy when I turn to God (I’m an atheist))
4. Everton (home): Tough game considering the fact that Everton are also in the race for a top 6 finish. Well, I think they will like a place in the Europa League (like it or not, Everton, STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM TOP 4! Enough teams are fighting for it already, jeez!). So if they manage to seal it before that last game, they won’t have anything to fight for…Okay, again, who am I kidding? It’s all one big ‘IF’. I hate it like that. I wish it was as easy as goddam FIFA…
Listen, what we need to do is stop with the maths! I know, I know, I’ve been doing some in this article itself, but come to think of it – it’s crazy. What the team needs to do is believe in themselves and get ready for the real business. Time to prove they’re men. Time to prove they deserve the big salaries they get. Time to prove that they deserve to be wearing the Chelsea jersey. Time to win a few games, draw less, lost none and snatch that 3rd or 4th place. Of course, I prefer the 3rd place because that will mean qualifying for the UCL directly without some useless games to add up to the long season that lies ahead of the lads. Again, time to be men. And for us, all it’s left is to get behind the team as loud as possible, time for us to support them like we supported them in that faithful night in Munich. These 5(most probably 6) games are 5(6) finals for us. And whether it’s Mata, Oscar, Hazard or Marin, Benayoun, Moses in the center, behind the striker – it’s time for all of them to win.
KEEP THE BLUE FLAG FLYING HIGH!
