Hazard Returns To Form
It turns out Eden Hazard hasn’t lost all of his magical sport playing powers in a ‘Space Jam’ style talent-draining escapade after all. It appears he just likes scoring goals which win Premier League titles; albeit if he had showed his second half form against Spurs for the entire season, he may well have been winning it for Chelsea as opposed to Leicester City.
All treading, poking, kicking and pensioner-pushing from the opposition aside, Monday’s game was a demonstration of what the players in blue can achieve once they put their minds to it. The second half at least was a throwback to the days when Chelsea could be relied upon to show some spirit and determination in the face of a defeat. This is in stark contrast to some games this year – Manchester City visiting Stamford Bridge springs to mind – where the team looked meek, tame and devoid of passion and direction.
Akin to the champion golfer at The Masters having to hand on the green jacket to the new prince of Augusta, Chelsea at least showed a desire to have an influence over the destination of the title and almost seemed pleased to be handing over that mantle to Leicester and Claudio Ranieri.
It will be interesting to see if Chelsea’s generosity is extended to teams further down the league as The Blues visit Sunderland on Saturday afternoon. Chelsea have been exceedingly generous with their points this season, giving them out almost weekly to all and sundry, but with the season now very much done and the metaphorical ‘flip-flops’ on, you would think that Sunderland could hardly have wished for a better opponent (bar Aston Villa, of course). Travelling supporters may find the team’s new found desire and hunger may be replaced by an injury-avoidance mentality, as those eligible have their sights set on this summer’s European Championship.
Kit Launch
For those with a beady eye (and an active social media account) you will have noticed this week that Chelsea FC launched their new home and goalkeeping kits for the 2016/17 season. It was announced in a video launch on the club’s Facebook channel with a Chelsea TV presenter interviewing Eden Hazard and Reuben Loftus-Cheek.
As they stripped off the club jackets to reveal the new shirt, many were left wondering if this was indeed a kit launch or the new official club shop pyjamas. The embossed lion frequenting the front of the shirt and sleeves left many surprised by the design which the club describe as ‘simple elegance and tradition’.
The look is indeed traditional, with a straight forward blue V-neck shirt featuring club badge, sponsors logo and the brand manufacturer, but the images of the lion dotted around the garment does bring a ‘kids’ bedtime night clothes’ feel to it.
The cost to own one of the same shirts the professionals wear: £90. Just let that sink in. £90. If you decide to have hero printing with a name and number, that takes it to £101. The far more ‘economical’ replica shirt is £55, with kids’ shirts starting at £45.
A club spokesman told Sky Sports News in the UK: “There are people who want to buy the more expensive authentic version and we are happy to cater for that market but, to be clear, Chelsea FC are selling the main replica shirt for £55 for adults, and from £45 for children, which is in line with other leading European clubs. Ninety-nine per cent of the Chelsea shirts that will be on sale in the UK will be the replica version.”
Fans, quite rightly too, will be miffed by the extortionate price of the replica shirts, especially as they feel that the club should look to give something back to the fans after an awful season. When considering the riches on offer with the new Premier League TV deal kicking in for the upcoming season, a reasonably-priced replica shirt is the least they could do.
The Blue Review is a weekly column taking a light-hearted view on the week’s events surrounding Chelsea.
