Chelsea eased past a wounded animal on Monday, but the fat lady has not taken the stage yet. Also, Diego Costa can pack his bags.
A golden opportunity, a wounded animal
Chelsea oddly played the Monday match this week. Had Tottenham been anybody other than Tottenham they would have closed the gap between Chelsea and used that wonderful period of time in between to let Chelsea stew. Fortunately for Chelsea, Tottenham are in fact Tottenham and though they are getting better (finishing above Arsenal and reclaiming North London finally) they maintain as much of their glass-jawed stature as they had in my childhood.
Manchester City and Pep Guardiola suffered from the same fate as Tottenham only a couple weeks ago. In his first experience in a league that doesn’t act as a year-long crowning ceremony Guardiola had to learn the hard way. Tottenham learnt against West Ham and I’m positive that some other giant will meet their goliath before the season is over.
Luckily Chelsea have the workaholic and detail oriented Antonio Conte at the helm. He’s known in many circles to perhaps even be too exhausting in his approach to these matches. A convincing performance against Boro proved that the Italian has them drilled and focused. There was no chance that the Blues were going to slip up against a wounded animal.
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However, the fat lady has not yet sung. This new band of Chelsea players will need to continue showing their mettle. The run in at the end of the season is more pressure than many of the more weak-willed players will be able to take.
Mental fortitude has not been a quality that this squad has overtly demonstrated in the past. You cannot just forget about last season and brush it under the rug. These are not yet a group of trusted veterans and anything could still happen.
Goodbye
Goodbye Diego Costa you temperamental, moody, ungrateful lump. I’ve had enough. I don’t want to see him in a Chelsea shirt for another season and I wish people would stop ignoring his childishness. Enough of chanting “Guvnor” and “Diego, Diego, Diego” at him. Quite frankly the Guvnor is too damn good of a nickname for a player who has not once returned the respect to a club that has given him nothing but that.
If it is true that Tianjin in China have offered upwards of £75 million for Costa than Chelsea should take it. What a horrendous professional. In the run in at the end of a possibly championship winning season he was photographed with Jorge Mendes meeting with Tianjin officials? Is this a joke?
I used to love Costa. He’s a good center forward who really fights. I’ve said for years that I’m tired of the twinkle-toed, entertaining, cry-baby, diving man-children who seem to occupy the center forward position in modern football. Costa is a throwback. Or at least I thought he was. If someone else wants to pay actual money for his temperamental childish behavior then good riddance.
I’ve vented my frustrations and concerns, now it’s your turn. Hit the comments below!