CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: FROM THE moment Jose Mourinho decided to make Petr Cech his number one ahead of Carlo Cudicini at the start of the 2004-05 season, the Czech goalkeeper repaid Chelsea's former manager with commanding reliability for two years. This glorious run of form was sadly interrupted by the sickening head injury Cech suffered against Reading in October 2006.
The ensuing spell on the sidelines and natural wariness on his return caused a slight yet ever-decreasing calibration of his abilities – goals conceded per game have risen by nearly 15 per cent – a descent which reached its nadir during the second instalment of Chelsea’s 7-5 Champions League aggregate win over Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.
When Fabio Aurelio bent his accurate 30-yard free-kick inside Cech’s near post, his dazed expression seemed to confirm that he, too, had suddenly been handed incontrovertible evidence of an unwanted truth. However, after the end of a gloriously harum-scarum contest in which Cech had conceded four times, he was unaware Guus Hiddink had been concerned enough to admit publicly: “He wasn’t at full confidence tonight. When that happens it can have repercussions.”
Cech was surprised by his manager’s comments, denying his morale is at a low ebb.
“No. I’m confident enough to go through the season because since he arrived I’ve been playing really well. And the only game I didn’t play well was the Bolton [match],” he said.
Against Gary Megson’s side last Saturday Cech had a dire afternoon. Three goals were leaked in eight minutes, raising memories of Euro 2008 last summer, when he admitted his dropping of a regulation cross that allowed Turkey to recover from 2-0 down to eliminate the Czech Republic left him inconsolable.
Disconcertingly for Hiddink ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal, Cech was reluctant to admit he was at fault in the two recent games. “It was not really a bad, bad game but I made a mistake for one goal,” he said of his display against Bolton. “And Liverpool was a mistake, okay, but everything went a little against me. This happens sometimes. You can’t change it.”
If there appears to be a touch too many excuses here, and Hiddink stated as recently as the weekend that one can be enough for him, here is Cech’s description of how Aurelio’s goal beat him:
“Unfortunately the wall was in the right place. But then the referee moved Florent [Malouda] backwards and he went in the wrong direction and couldn’t hear me. Then I knew the wall was not right but from that distance he shouldn’t have scored anyway.”
And, asked if Cech was surprised Hiddink had discussed his goalkeeper’s confidence, there was a pause. “Maybe he feels that. I don’t know,” Cech said. “What I can tell you is I don’t feel this way.”
Chelsea have already had defensive problems this season, most notably under Luiz Felipe Scolari in December and January when they conceded several goals from set-pieces. Then, Scolari’s lax employment of the zonal system was deemed partly culpable.
So, too, was the Brazilian’s fractious relationship with Cech’s long-time goalkeeping coach, the Frenchman Christophe Lollichon, who was banned from the dressingroom. Lollichon has since been reinstated, removing one reason for Cech’s poor form.
So how to explain his defence’s apparent nervousness in front of him, starting last weekend? “You try to speak about a crisis,” Cech said, denying the notion. “But I don’t think you can, because you can always have a spell where whatever you do it goes against you.”
Chelsea’s next game in the Champions League will be at the Camp Nou against tournament favourites Barcelona. The suspension of Ashley Cole, who would have marked Lionel Messi, widely considered the best player in the world, makes Hiddink’s choice of who should play left back crucial.
There is no natural understudy since Wayne Bridge’s departure, so Messi’s penchant for cutting in from out wide on to his favoured left foot makes the case for it being a task for a right back. Branislav Ivanovic, who shone against Liverpool in the first leg, could well be shifted across.
Whatever the personnel at the back, Frank Lampard, the two-goal hero against Liverpool on Tuesday, knows what is required of Chelsea.
“We’ve got to defend well. We continued on against Liverpool from Bolton with that nervy kind of attitude. We sat too deep, we missed John Terry; he’s the leader at the back, pushes us up the park, shows a lot of aggression,” Lampard said of the captain, who will be available following suspension.
Chelsea also need a return to form from Cech.
Guardian Service
