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So this is a total waste of time. This time last week, Chelsea harboured realistic hopes of going into this game in first place, but with Manchester United wrapping up the title yesterday, they now find themselves with nothing to play for, unless the race for second really grabs you. It's end-of-term time at Stamford Bridge then. Maybe everyone should just stop pretending that this really matters and stick a DVD of Gladiator on instead. (That still happens, right?)
But wait! You wouldn't want to miss what most probably will be Carlo Ancelotti's last appearance at Stamford Bridge, would you? I don't know. It's a strange thing when a manager who won the double last season - and not to mention two Champions League titles with Milan - is now judged not good enough on the basis of one dodgy season. A dodgy season in which they look finishing second in the league, one place behind the most successful side in the history of English football. Clearly rebuilding is needed at Chelsea; the side has to be manufactured to get the best out of Fernando Torres next season, but surely Ancelotti's record demonstrates that he deserves another chance to get it right. The decision to trust in the youth players last summer backfired during their horrible run in the winter, but that was a call from upstairs. True, Chelsea's displays in the domestic cups were miserable. They have also disappointed against Manchester United and Inter in the Champions League, which perhaps contributed more to Ancelotti's likely dismissal, but it stands to reason that a manager who has won the competition twice probably knows how to win that competition. If Ancelotti does go, Roman Abramovich will have seen off him, Claudio Ranieri, Jose Mourinho, Avram Grant, Luiz Felipe Scolari and with the exception of one raging galoot on that list, there are some big names right there. Maybe it's not them, Roman. Maybe it's you.
There's always someone worse off than you though which is the mantra I repeat to myself every morning, afternoon and night and Chelsea could always have Mike Ashley running the show. Now there's a man who makes some interesting decisions. I suppose we have to give him some credit for Newcastle's fine season though, even if the decision to sack Chris Hughton still looks ludicrous. It's easy to forget this now, but back in December, everyone was expecting Alan Pardew to take Newcastle straight back down. In that context then, Pardew has done a remarkable job since taking over, overcoming a dubious Toon Army and turning up at training one day to find Shefki Kuqi standing where Andy Carroll used to be.
Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech; Ivanovic, Alex, Terry, Cole; Ramires, McEachran, Lampard; Anelka, Benayoun, Torres. Subs: Turnbull, David Luiz, Essien, Drogba, Mikel, Malouda, Ferreira.
Newcastle (4-4-2): Krul; Simpson, Steven Taylor, Coloccini, Jose Enrique; Gutierrez, Barton, Ryan Taylor, Ferguson; Shola Ameobi, Lovenkrands.Subs: Soderberg, Smith, LuaLua, Ranger, Tavernier, Kuqi, Sammy Ameobi.
Referee: Lee Mason.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/may/15/chelsea-newcastle-live-score
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