Hey, anyone have an interest in the dull and dire? How about the deplorable and depressing? If so, Chelsea Football Club is your team.
The Blues sleepwalked through another goalless draw Tuesday, this time in Athens against Olympiakos on Champions League matchday seven. Avram Grant rested Anelka, JT and Lampard in wake of this weekend's Carling Cup final. The gamble paid off (somewhat), seeing as the tie, which switches to Stamford Bridge in two weeks, is now clearly in Chelsea's hands.
To say that's a good thing would probably be about the only positive one could take away from Tuesday's match -- though it is a massive positive. The Blues, as a hole, looked unmotivated and as if they didn't really care. Drogba, in his first action since returning from the homeland, was lethargic and more prone to through a fit than threaten the Greeks at the back. Sure he didn't get much service, but where's the workrate we've come to love?
Our best -- if you can call it that -- was seen at the back and in the hole. Maks was fairly effective, while Alex and Carvahlo proved themselves a solid tandem once again. Our worst clearly came on the left side, where Cashley and Malouda were simply useless. With the right targeted by Olympiakos, the left wingers (no politics) saw a lot of time on the ball -- most of it ending with Malouda failing to beat a defender with his "sublime" technical ability. SWP should feel hard done being left out for this guy. For that matter, so should Bridge for Cole. Joe Cole wasn't a ball of sunshine either.
We did get to see what life might hold for the club with a two-prong attack of Drogba and Sulky Sulky. Nico came on around the 70th, and though he set up shop on the left wing, provided some zing to the side. Moving him centrally would be good ol' fashion fun, though I doubt our man Avram has the kelbasa to do so.
Let's just hope Olympiakos doesn't park about six defenders inside their own third in the second leg. They might just nick one off a frustrated Chelsea side. Oh, who am I kidding, Eidur will grab an early one and we'll cruise. Wait.