The Times January 29, 2007


Mourinho enjoys the last laugh
Matt Dickinson

Chelsea 3 Nottingham Forest 0


"Forest 2 Chelsea 0" more than one banner in the visitors' end
proclaimed yesterday, with reference to European Cup victories, but
the past was the only sphere in which the underdogs were going to
claim supremacy. The present brought a lesson in how far Brian
Clough's former club have fallen.
Much has been read into Roman Abramovich's recent absences from
Stamford Bridge, but the owner showed good judgment in staying away
from this numbingly one-sided match. Various humiliations have been
heaped upon Forest in recent seasons, but the first half yesterday
threatened to be a new low. Official statistics recorded that, in the
first 45 minutes, they had 19 per cent of possession. Was it really
that much?

In mitigation, Colin Calderwood, an up and coming manager, is leading
the club back towards some sort of respectability as they chase
promotion out of the third tier of English football (they are the
first former European champions to fall so low), but, far from
advertising his good work, this was a performance that showed him how
much remains to be done.

Tyson and Agogo might sound like a heavyweight partnership — and they
are capable of roughing up Crewe Alexandra — but every time they went
shoulder to shoulder with Ricardo Carvalho or Michael Essien, it was
the Forest pair who bounced off.

Racing into a 3-0 lead by half-time, this was just the sort of
soothing passage to the FA Cup fifth round that José Mourinho will
have wanted after recent turmoil, although for those captivated by the
political struggles within Stamford Bridge, there was still some fun
to be had reading the Portuguese's body language. While the rest of
the Chelsea bench punched the air to celebrate Andriy Shevchenko's
opening goal, Mourinho looked as if he was competing in the world's
most serious game of musical statues.

And when Shevchenko was scythed down late on by Julian Bennett, who
provided a rough but refreshing contrast to his colleagues' timidity,
Mourinho burst into hysterical laughter. He explained later that he
had foretold the foul and was simply chuckling at his prescience, but
the Ukraine striker might not have enjoyed the joke as he checked that
his legs were still intact.

Shevchenko will not be laughing if, after three goals in two matches
(albeit against Wycombe Wanderers and Forest), he reverts to the bench
when Chelsea continue their pursuit of Manchester United with a home
match against Blackburn Rovers in the Barclays Premiership on
Wednesday evening.

Mourinho was making no promises to his striker, who, despite far
greater involvement than earlier in the season, still found his
contribution drawing critical analysis from Marcel Desailly and Alan
Hansen in the BBC pundits' box. Hansen believes that his pace has gone
forever, although he cannot dispute that Shevchenko's confidence is
coming back.

His early strike was initially awarded to John Curtis — the shot did
take a huge deflection off the full back — but the Ukrainian deserved
to claim it because he had hooked the ball goalwards after a flick-on
by Didier Drogba.

The Ivory Coast forward added the second after 18 minutes, hitting a
crisp free kick over the wall, although it was not so accurate or
powerful that Paul Smith could be excused. Having got a hand to the
ball, the Forest goalkeeper should have kept it out.

Shortly before the break, John Obi Mikel added Chelsea's third goal,
prodding in from close range after a ricochet to leave Mourinho with
only one complaint, the deterioration in a recently relaid pitch, and
Calderwood with a group of chastened players.

On the BBC, Gary Lineker had sounded patronising before kick-off when
he had talked of "a nice day out" for Forest, but this was not even
that. It was a terrible anticlimax. Even in losing 6-1 to Chelsea in
the previous round, Macclesfield Town had put up more of a fight.

Chelsea (4-4-2): P Cech — Gérémi, M Essien, R Carvalho, W Bridge — S
Wright Phillips (sub: N Morais, 82min), L Diarra, J O Mikel, F Lampard
(sub: M Woods, 79) — A Shevchenko, D Drogba (sub: S Kalou, 61).
Substitutes not used: C Cudicini, A Cole

Nottingham Forest (4-4-2): P Smith — J Curtis, W Morgan, I Breckin, J
Bennett — N Southall, Gary Holt, J Perch (sub: S Dobie, 73), Grant
Holt (sub: S Clingan, 46) — N Tyson, J Agogo (sub: J Lester, 73).
Substitutes not used: S Redmond, L McGugan. Booked: Clingan, Lester



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Telegraph:

Chelsea's merry men steal hope from Forest paupers
By Henry Winter at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea (3) 3 Nottingham Forest (0) 0

This was Robin Hood in reverse, the rich taking from the poor of
Nottingham. Forest were too deep, too cautious, and were duly put to
the sword through first-half goals from Andrei Shevchenko, Didier
Drogba and John Obi Mikel.


When Drogba's free-kick thudded into Forest's net after 18 minutes,
any semblance of hope drained away from the outclassed League One
side. At least their 6,000 fans refused to bow out as quietly; they
taunted the home fans – who are being encouraged by the club to form a
"singing zone" in the Shed End – by chanting: "Two-nil and you still
won't sing."

Regulars in the Matthew Harding Stand are rarely short of an opinion
or two, and they were soon lauding Jose Mourinho, reminding the world
of the manager's place in their hearts. Forest fans had an answer to
that as well: "Cloughie's the Special One."

Sadly, the heirs to Brian Clough's great tradition had few answers to
Chelsea's speed of thought and feet. Nerves led to mistakes, which led
to oblivion. At one point, when more Chelsea pressure brought a
corner, a cheeky Forest fan refused to hand the ball back until the
terrific Frank Lampard shook his hand.

It was not the first, or last, time that Forest presented possession
to Chelsea. Too many hurried clearances found blue shirts, rather than
red. Too many midfield passes were picked off, particularly by Lassana
Diarra, who showed real promise in the Claude Makelele position.

Diarra was eclipsed as man of the match by Michael Essien, again
excelling at centre-half, dominating Nathan Tyson and Junior Agogo
with all the assurance of a headmaster rounding up overawed new boys.
With Tyson and Agogo isolated and subdued, Chelsea dominated and the
road to the FA Cup fifth round opened up.

The rout began early, triggered by the man nicknamed 'Mash Mash'.
Geremi acquired his sobriquet through his habit of answering his phone
with the greeting 'Mash Mash', a habit picked up listening to Japanese
people. Forest's defending was real mish-mash stuff, the ball falling
obligingly to Shevchenko, who shot goalwards via the unfortunate John
Curtis.

Forest's timidity at addressing unfolding danger continued to cost
them dear. Bizarrely allowing Chelsea to run at them, Colin
Calderwood's overworked defence endured a barrage of attacks in the
air and on the ground. When Nicky Southall brought down Wayne Bridge
20 yards out, Chelsea exacted full punishment; Lampard dummied, and
Drogba curled in his 22nd goal of the season.

Forest, whose main aim is promotion to the Championship, were 2-0 down
and sliding out of the Cup. Tyson tried to inspire a fightback, but
the forward's best moment of the first half came tracking back to
dispossess Bridge.

Chelsea wrapped up the tie moments before half-time. Another Lampard
corner caused confusion in the Forest box, with Smith and Julian
Bennett failing to clear, allowing Mikel to poach Chelsea's third from
close range.

Forest showed some fire after the break, and James Perch just failed
to turn in Agogo's cross-shot, but when Drogba was removed on the
hour, it felt like a declaration by Mourinho. Still, Chelsea could
have embellished the scoreline, but Shevchenko shot wretchedly wide,
Lampard was denied by Smith's right knee, and Curtis cleared an Essien
header off the line.

The Bridge was given another glimpse of the future with the arrival of
the 16-year-old Michael Woods – a midfielder, controversially acquired
from Leeds United, with the looks and gait of Paul Scholes and,
Chelsea hope, the same potential. An ambitious claim.

Woods does boast a neat touch, and a composure in possession, but it
was more established figures entertaining the crowd, notably Ricardo
Carvalho, whose little vocation on the left wing included a wonderful
juggling act past Nicky Southall. All that remained was for Mourinho
to laugh himself almost off the bench, when Bennett caught Shevchenko.

Still Forest's supporters sang and danced, some ripping their tops off
to wave them in the air.

At the final whistle, Tyson asked for the shirt of Geremi, who did not
even bother waiting for Tyson's in return. It encapsulated the
afternoon. Chelsea already had Forest's scalp.

Match details

Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech; Geremi, Essien, Carvalho, Bridge; Mikel,
Diarra, Lampard (Woods 81); Wright-Phillips (Morais 81), Drogba (Kalou
60), Shevchenko.
Subs: Cudicini (g), A Cole.
Nottingham Forest (4-4-2): Smith; Curtis, Breckin, Morgan, Bennett;
Southall, Gary Holt, Perch (Dobie 72), Grant Holt (Clingan ht); Tyson,
Agogo (Lester 72).
Subs: Redmond (g), McGugan.
Booked: Clingan, Lester.
Referee: A Wiley (Staffordshire).
Att: 41,516.

www.telegraph.co.uk/winter

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Indy:

Chelsea 3 Nottingham Forest 0: Shevchenko helps swat away limp Forest
as Mourinho steals the show
By Sam Wallace, Football Correspondent

Jose Mourinho is already joking that there are "11 managers on the
list" to succeed him at Chelsea and yesterday he delivered a blunt
message for any of them with ambitions to take over at Stamford
Bridge. "I think it will be difficult to be a manager after me at any
club," he said. "I don't recommend it."

The gallows humour yesterday should really have been saved for a limp
Nottingham Forest side, little more than an inconvenient fly swatted
away from the ear of the football goliath that resides at Stamford
Bridge. This was serene progress for Mourinho into the FA Cup fifth
round but, as ever at Chelsea, the football was scarcely more than a
sideshow to the story of the manager's future.

Even before goals from Andrei Shevchenko, Didier Drogba and John Obi
Mikel had decided this game before the half-time tea, Mourinho was
explaining the continued absence of Roman Abramovich to Gary Lineker
live on the BBC. After the game, he brushed off reports that the
club's owner has a shortlist of potential successors.

"I know the list is very big, almost 11 or 12 managers, but I have no
problems," Mourinho said. "I think I have coped well with the
situation, the players can be my witnesses that I am the same guy,
working well. Even if that list becomes bigger, it doesn't bother me.
I just want to win matches and nothing else.

"I'm staying, I have a contract, which is important, I'm the manager
today and I am the manager until the end of the season. I believe I'll
be manager until 2010."

He shrugged off the absence of Abramovich and said that the Russian
"did not need to give an explanation", adding that he would always be
welcome in the dressing room. After £400m of investment, Abramovich
might be entitled to think that he does not need an invite to talk to
the coaches and players he pays so handsomely.

"He is the owner and he can do what he wants and go where he needs to
be," Mourinho said. "His business life is even more complicated than I
know. He pays me and Peter Kenyon quite a lot to run the club when he
is not around. He is always welcome in our dressing room and when he
is not around it is because he had other things to do."

As a newcomer to English football, Abramovich would have been
hard-pressed to comprehend that yesterday's opponents from League One
had twice won the European Cup that he craves so much. The away fans
waved inflatable versions of the trophy, although history was all they
had to savour yesterday. Colin Calderwood's hard work was undone by a
team who seemed to be suffering from stage fright.

The possession statistics at half-time were a humiliating 81 per cent
in Chelsea's favour and even that seemed generous to Forest, who fell
behind to an indelicate finish by Shevchenko that bounced off the
defender John Curtis before rolling in. Even the Chelsea stadium
announcer took some persuading that the £31m man should be credited
with the goal.

There was cutting criticism for Shevchenko from another Milan old boy,
the former Chelsea defender Marcel Desailly, who said on the BBC that
the Ukrainian "is not the player he once was and it will be difficult
for him to get back". Alan Hansen chipped in, saying that "Father Time
had caught up with Shevchenko". And that is after he has scored three
goals in the last two games.

On the bench, Mourinho had a fit of laughter when, in the latter
stages, Shevchenko was treated to a League One-style tackle from
Julian Bennett, the bad-tempered Forest left-back who had put himself
about. The sight of Shevchenko writhing on the floor in pain while his
manager chuckled was instructive. "I told Steve Clarke that the boy
would kill Sheva and he did it before I finished speaking," Mourinho
said, "so, yes, I found it funny."

Mourinho was lukewarm about Shevchenko's performance, and he said that
he did not expect to make another signing before the transfer window
closes on Wednesday night. John Terry will not be back for that
night's match against Blackburn Rovers but Mourinho said he hoped his
captain would return in time for the next Premiership game against
Charlton.

Drogba curled in an excellent free-kick from the left channel on 19
minutes to beat the Forest goalkeeper Paul Smith at his near post.
Mikel poked home the third from close range as the Forest defence
appeared to self-destruct.

A banner in the away end read: "Shevchenko £31m. Wright-Phillips £21m.
Two European Cups: priceless." Abramovich would agree, he is still
funding the quest for his.

Goals: Shevchenko (9) 1-0; Drogba (19) 2-0; Mikel (45) 3-0.

Chelsea (4-3-1-2): Cech; Geremi, Carvalho, Essien, Bridge;
Wright-Phillips (Morais, 82), Diarra, Lampard (Woods, 79); Mikel;
Drogba (Kalou, 62), Shevchenko. Substitutes not used: Cudicini (gk), A
Cole.

Nottingham Forest (4-4-2): Smith; Curtis, Breckin, Morgan, Bennett;
Southall, Gary Holt, Perch (Dobie, 73), Grant Holt (Clingan, h-t);
Tyson, Agogo (Lester, 73). Substitutes not used: Redmond (gk),
McGugan.

Booked: Nottingham Forest Clingan.

Referee: A Wiley (Staffordshire).

Man of the match: Essien.

Attendance: 41,516.
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Blues leave Forest dazed and confused

Richard Williams at Stamford Bridge
Monday January 29, 2007
The Guardian


Roman Abramovich stayed away from this one, preferring to spend the
weekend watching teams from Israel, Russia and Ukraine compete in a
friendly tournament mounted with his money. Maybe he knows more about
football than we think. Back in west London there was nothing of
significance to be learnt from a match that resembled a pre-season
kickabout against a semi-pro side, and precious little to enjoy.
For that the blame could be laid squarely at the feet of a Nottingham
Forest team who, whatever their intentions, appeared not just
outclassed but thoroughly overawed by the occasion, their performance
containing none of the fire expected of underdogs in the fourth round
of the FA Cup. Lying 45 rungs below Chelsea on the ladder of English
football, they gave the champions less of a game than Macclesfield -
then last but one in the fourth tier - had managed in the third round
at the start of the month.


Before the match Chic Thomson, the 76-year-old former goalkeeper who
won a 1954-55 championship medal with Ted Drake's Chelsea and a Cup
winner's medal four years later with Billy Walker's Forest, talked
about the difference between those teams. Whereas Walker discouraged
attempts to pass more than 30 yards, thus laying the foundations of a
tradition refined by Johnny Carey and Brian Clough, Drake encouraged a
long-ball game. Here the approaches were reversed.
"I think the history of the game was the history of the first half,"
Jose Mourinho said, and that could best be told in its statistics.
Chelsea enjoyed 81% of possession on a difficult pitch and got off 18
shots to Forest's none. And of those 18 three produced goals.

"Shh, Jose - the legend is here," claimed a banner bearing a portrait
of Clough. But the man who brought two European Cups to the City
Ground would not have recognised the way Forest's defence allowed
Chelsea to take a ninth-minute lead. When Didier Drogba and Ian
Breckin jumped to meet Geremi's long throw from the right, the ball
fell to Andriy Shevchenko inside the penalty area. With an
embarrassment of time the Ukrainian hit a shot across Paul Smith in
goal. Smith's dive might have allowed him to make the save, had John
Curtis not deflected the ball into the opposite corner.

As Forest's challenge went from anaemic to negligible, it became
apparent that Chelsea were winning not just the second balls but the
third, fourth and fifth balls as well. Drogba, Shevchenko, Shaun
Wright-Phillips and Frank Lampard were lining up to take pot-shots as
ball after ball fell to them from clearances that barely made it out
of the visitors' penalty area.

The second goal came after 18 minutes, when Nicky Southall was
adjudged to have fouled Wayne Bridge 20 yards from goal. Forest pulled
every man back into an extended wall but to no avail. After Lampard
had executed the formality of a dummy run Drogba stroked a dipping and
curling free-kick that brushed Smith's hand on its way into the net.

Chelsea's superiority was encapsulated when, in a rare display of
enterprise, Nathan Tyson took on Michael Essien down the left midway
through the first half. The Ghanaian kept pace with Forest's speed
merchant, waiting for his opponent to check inside before depriving
him of the ball with a single perfectly timed flick of his foot, like
a policeman taking a stolen bag of sweets from a schoolboy.

What Forest did not need was to concede another goal before the
interval. In the minute added on to the first half, however, they
failed to clear Lampard's inswinging corner from the left and saw
Mikel John Obi react before the surrounding defenders to dab the ball
home at the near post with the sole of his boot.

All hope gone, Forest could only attempt to keep the score down. Their
success in achieving that aim was an improvement which, as their
manager said afterwards, was a lot easier to accomplish at 3-0 down.
Good teams, Colin Calderwood added, show that kind of spirit at
nil-nil. Would he be taking any positives out of the afternoon?
"None," he said, and let the ensuing silence speak for itself.

Forest managed a single shot, from Junior Agogo, in the second period
but the measure of their humilation came after the final whistle. When
Tyson asked Geremi for his shirt, the Chelsea man happily agreed
without bothering to ask his opponent to reciprocate.

Man of the match: Michael Essien.

Unflustered efficiency ran through his performance like a watermark.
Pound for pound, is there a better player in the world just now?

Best moment A powerful header applied to Geremi's cross and cleared
off the line by John Curtis.

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Sun:

Chelsea 3 Nott'm Forest 0

By SHAUN CUSTIS
January 29, 2007


HE has scored three goals in his last two games but the knives are
still out for Andriy Shevchenko.

In fact, if anything, they are being sharpened to an even finer point.

As Chelsea cruised into the FA Cup fifth round on the most comfortable
of Sunday afternoons, set on their way by Sheva's deflected shot,
former Blues skipper Marcel Desailly and BBC pundit Alan Hansen carved
the Ukrainian up.

Desailly said: "The one we are seeing isn't the top boy we know. It
will be difficult for him to come back."

Hansen was more brutal. The ex-Liverpool captain said: "He is heavy
legged. Father time has caught up with him."

Manager Jose Mourinho has no sympathy either. He laughed in the second
half when Sheva was crudely fouled by Julian Bennett.

Striker Shevchenko, 30, was not laughing — he was on the ground
holding his head.

Whatever he does is analysed and dissected and he still has much to do
to convince some he can make it at Chelsea after his £30million switch
from AC Milan in the summer.

Scoring a double against League Two side Wycombe and another against
League One outfit Nottingham Forest will not do that.

He is going to have to perform in the Premiership and the Champions League.

The home league clash with Blackburn on Wednesday will be a big test —
if Mourinho picks him.

When asked how he felt Shevchenko played, Mourinho said "He did OK he
played his part", which was neither nothing nor something.


But the Blues boss argued that Sheva and Didier Drogba did combine
well together despite the latter's assessment in SunSport that Sheva
is too selfish.

There were occasions when Shevchenko could have laid the ball off but,
then again, so could Drogba.

If Old Big 'Ed Brian Clough was looking down on this one he would have
despaired at the gap which now exists between new Big 'Ed Mourinho's
lot and the club he managed with such distinction.

Forest fans arrived with inflatable European Cups, remembering the
great Cloughie days of 1979 and 1980 when they ruled the continent.

There was also a huge banner in the Forest end which proclaimed:
"Wright-Phillips £21m, Shevchenko £30m, 2 European Cups priceless."

Forest have the heritage which Chelsea crave but the two are now worlds apart.

Chelsea did not have to break sweat to win and had rendered the game
no contest by the 18th minute when they were already two up.

Shevchenko had forced a save out of Paul Smith before he put the Blues
ahead on nine minutes.

Geremi's throw-in was not cleared and Shevchenko swivelled and shot
right-footed.

The ball took a wicked deflection off former Manchester United
defender John Curtis, sending keeper Smith the wrong way.

'Own-goal' said the PA announcer but eventually Sheva got the credit.
He needs all the goals he can get.

The second came when Frank Lampard stepped over a free-kick and Drogba
wrapped his foot round the dead-ball, curling it into the Forest net
from 25 yards, for his 22nd goal in all competitions this season.

That took the wind out of the visiting fans inflatable cups. The 6,000
travelling supporters knew the game was up.

On the stroke of half-time Mikel John Obi forced the ball in from
close range after a corner bounced off a defender and Smith got a hand
on it.

The statistics at the break were astonishing. Chelsea had 81 per cent
of possession to Forest's 19 per cent and had registered 18 shots to
their opponent's nil.

Forest were not even having a go. Chelsea used the second half as a
training-ground runabout, easing off the gas.

Finally just before the hour Forest had a shot when Junior Agogo
turned and fired across goal to ironic cheers all round.

Stung into action at this afront, Chelsea had shots from Shevchenko
which flashed wide and a Lampard drive which cannoned back off Smith's
knees.

Then an Michael Essien header was cleared off the line by Curtis.

Had it not been for poor control from Lampard's pass, Shevchenko might
have got another.

But at least he was in the right areas and his team-mates are passing
to him these days.

Despite the easy victory, as a spectacle this was a complete turn-off.
It was efficient by Chelsea without ever being entertaining.

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich was missing again preferring to watch
the Tel Aviv derby in Israel between Hapoel and Maccabi at a
tournament which he sponsors.

He was not a bad judge. Whatever happened it was surely more
interesting than being at Stamford Bridge.

s.custis@...