Chelsea 1-0 West Brom: Post Match Views from a Lad in the Shed

It should have been more comfortable but it also could have gone horribly wrong.

Pre-match prophecies that Stamford Bridge would vote with their voices never came to pass as the various ramparts of the stadium rallied Chelsea towards a vastly significant win.

Any discord for Rafa Benitez was drowned out by terrace encouragement towards the team and the Blues responded with one of their most convincing wins in the past few weeks.

1-0 flattered West Brom in truth. Chelsea could and should have been a couple clear by the time Demba Ba broke the deadlock and that goal was nearly added to on numerous occasions before a late Baggies flurry.

I can't have been the only one crossing fingers, toes and anything else which would cross when the visitors sent over a few optimistic corners and crosses in the dying embers.

It shouldn't have got to that stage but the fact it did proves that the players and manager are not firing on all cylinders, but for large parts Chelsea's performance ticked plenty of boxes.

West Brom were subdued and aided the cause but when an average team play poorly, the better bunch has to to take the initiative and press home that advantage.

Chelsea's tempo was good, the quality was there and had it not been for a combination of Ben Foster and poor finishing then the final tally would have had a more realistic look.

Oscar, Juan Mata and Eden Hazard linked with quick, slick combinations and Ba burrowed around up front with the enthusiasm which has been distinctly lacking from Fernando Torres.

The Senegalese strikers goal served to highlight his energy and enthusiasm and had Torres been playing, would he have been as aware to react to David Luiz's nod across the goalmouth?

The whole display will hardly send shivers through Europe but anyone who has watched Chelsea closely recently will have appreciated that this 90 minutes contained more positive elements than many that has proceeded it.

Eventually the starting line up may too and fro but the initiative shouldn't. From the off the side were positive, inventive and forward thinking and that only served to highlight a limited Baggies outfit that were only here for the ride.

After Benitez's midweek 'rant' it was also refreshing to hear the majority of Stamford Bridge stick their lungs behind the side rather than stick the knife into the manager's back.

The tempo from crowd and team was upbeat immediately and that was reflected in a chirpy opening from Chelsea as they pursued three points ahead of Sunday's north London derby.

Whatever's been and gone, the future is now. We can forget about the Premier League and Champions League but project yourself twelve months into the future and wherever Chelsea are then sincerely depends on what happens over the next few weeks and months.

We all know Benitez is not the man to lead us forward, but that only amplifies the need for Chelsea fans to be the twelfth man and roar the team forward in each and every game until this seasons conclusion.

There are so many positive elements to this set up that it depresses me to constantly hear and read about the negatives.

Once again Hazard resembled a lizard trying to elude the grasp of a clumsy pet shop owner, and Oscar's baby face antics illuminated patches of the contest.

I was once again more than impressed with Cesar Azpilicueta's all-round contribution and David Luiz did a fine impression of a quality centre-half.

When it has gone wrong Benitez has been pilloried so on this occasion should we be giving the Spaniard credit for a decisive display?

For the first two-third's of the tie there cannot have been too many complaints. John Terry's exclusion raised some interest but the rest of it looked fine and those blessed with the powers of hindsight could find no reason to grumble about the selection.

However Benitez once again missed the boat with his substitutions and it was that characteristic indecision which almost allowed West Brom an avenue back in.

After over an hour of one way traffic, Chelsea's play hit a lull and that should have been the cue for changes.

With the game still stretched I personally felt Victor Moses should have appeared earlier than he did and for Oscar not Hazard. The Nigerian would have given Chelsea some pace and penetration on the break and a second goal at any point would have done for Steve Clarke's side.

But the correct swap never came and it was only after 80 minutes that Moses was summoned to contribute.

By then West Brom had gotten something of a grip and even if Benitez didn't see fit to seek a second, why was John Obi Mikel not brought on to add another body into midfield to stifle any threat?

It's all academic now and having started positively it seems petty to conclude things with a bit of gloom.

If Chelsea play with the same tempo and tenacity against Steaua Bucharest on Thursday they should record another comfortable victory and playing this way will give more chance of a result in Manchester next Sunday than they did a fortnight prior.

All in all it was a smooth and stylish performance with all facets showing they can contribute to the cause.

More of the same please.

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