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CHELSEA FC: Reaction: Clarke pleased with gear shift

/noticias.info/ Any murmurs that the Barclays Premiership leaders had not played our part in making an entertaining afternoon at The Valley were few and far between. Assistant manager Steve Clarke was happy to go along with the consensus that the London derby between the top two had not disappointed.

Shortly after the final whistle blew on Chelsea’s 2-0 win, a contented Clarke said: “I think it was a good game. Charlton were good opposition, they’ve started the season well and the first-half was quite even although we had the better chances.

“We were asked a question in the first-half, could we find another gear? We asked the players to do that at half-time, put pressure on Charlton higher up the pitch and we got two quality goals to win the game.”

The positive reaction from the players was there for all to see when Chelsea came out after the break and in a short burst, wrestled away any remaining grasp Charlton had on the game.

“Ultimately it was quite comfortable,” reckoned Clarke, “although it was difficult to get to that stage. You don’t win a match in five minutes, you win it over the course of 90 minutes.”

Michael Essien, who continued to look a man born to play in the Premiership drew special mention from the Chelsea assistant boss.

“He had an interrupted pre-season, because of the transfer saga, but he is a top quality player. We knew that and that is why we paid the money for him. Every game he is getting stronger and I’m sure he’ll get better and better as the season goes on.

“It’s a different culture, different team-mates but he has settled in very, very quickly.”

Charlton manager Alan Curbishley looked like a man who hadn’t taken long to realise any pre-match optimism was a little unwarranted.

“Seeing Chelsea first-hand today, I can see that they are so powerful as a side,” Curbishley admitted.

“I think they go into games quite believing that if they score, then that will be it. They have that about them.

“Apart from their football and organisation, they showed today that they are athletes. There were a couple of times when we burst away but were caught.

“Essien, Makelele, Frank [Lampard] in the midfield, I don’t think there can be many people who work as hard as them. The previous years we have got a fair amount of points against the top sides, Chelsea included, but since he [Mourinho] has been there, they have been a lot different.

“They are powerful, disciplined, well-organised and they have got so many match-winners. If you don’t make a mistake like we did for the first goal, they have so much quality that can change a game on its head which is difficult for everybody else.

“You have got play as well as you can, and then maybe a bit more, and then if a little bit of luck comes into it, maybe you can nick something.”

The match-winners on this occasion were Hernán Crespo with his second goal of the season and Arjen Robben with his first. But once again, the defence that is now officially the tightest ever at the start of a Premiership season, could not escape without praise.

“We didn’t look like conceding,” Clarke believed. “Teams will always put you under pressure in certain moments of the game but we defended very well, as we did last season. It is one the strengths of our team.

“We’ve played six games, won them all, conceded no goals and scored 12. It is a very solid start and we are all delighted with it - but there is a long way to go.
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