Frustration. The only word that comes to my mind when I see the two Lukaku goals over and over again.
Is there possibly a more frustrating what-could-have-been moment in this world?
Not in my view.
Not only has the Belgian centre-forward delivered on a big occasion like many of his critics said he couldn’t, but he also gave Chelsea fans arguably the worst blow of their season so far. He couldn’t have chosen a better time to get revenge on his former employers.
This week has been too abysmal for Chelsea fans and players to endure. Their club has been knocked out of two cup competitions in quick succession, and their Premier League campaign, well, the less said the better.
Their first loss against Paris Saint-Germain some saw coming, as the Parisiens were entering the twilight period of their season by means of which their entire campaign will be judged. So, as their Champions League run is the most important aspect in terms of the development of this club, Ibrahimovic and Co. were keen on not repeating the defeat they suffered at Stamford Bridge two years ago.
PSG were thoroughly dominant throughout the entire length of the game, and Diego Costa’s absence after the start of the 2nd half meant Chelsea had little chance of getting back into the game, having then already gone down 2-1.
Similar to today, if you see the connection. Costa was sent off right at the crucial moment when Chelsea were supposed to devise a comeback from the 2-0 deficit late on. It made me, and millions of Chelsea supporters all around the world frustrated beyond limits.
What’s even more frustrating is that Hiddink, who many have been singling out for praise since the takeover, could potentially have been the man at fault for both of these losses. His tactical gameplan, which was to play and not lose instead of to play and win, was deployed in both the PSG and Everton clashes. Now, the problem with playing defense is that you need a team that’s 125% confident and committed to the cause, and as many have noticed throughout the season, Chelsea cannot defend a narrow lead, much less no lead. Had Chelsea started in an attacking frame of mind right from the start in these two ties, they could’ve at least produced a fair result in terms of demonstrating the attacking quality that this Chelsea squad has. Though with that said, we should give the Dutch manager some wiggle room here, as it’s all just wonder and speculation at this point.
Chelsea’s youth problems also resurfaced in the FA Cup tie, as they were punished yet again by a player that Chelsea fans should’ve been able to call their own. Frustration, anger, and tension will constantly be in the minds of the Stamford Bridge faithful in the next few days, and this will only make matters go from bad to worse, as inevitably, there will be that one singular substance that people will start pointing fingers at. Hopefully, this implores the club’s executives to do something meaningful in the coming transfer window, and maybe even shake up a few of the policies that they currently have in place. Particularly with their youth system.
