Clinically Progressive - ESPN (blog)

Thank you for using rssforward.com! This service has been made possible by all our customers. In order to provide a sustainable, best of the breed RSS to Email experience, we've chosen to keep this as a paid subscription service. If you are satisfied with your free trial, please sign-up today. Subscriptions without a plan would soon be removed. Thank you!

It has been a while, but thats what the depravity of an international break will do to you.

Another weekend, and another win, were a comforting reminder that there is still life left in football, even if your international team are wholly uninspiring.

Even though the tie against Everton wasn't full of the best football, it once again showed that AVB is revolutionising the style of Chelsea Football Club.

The title says it all really, we were clinical and there is great progression within this team.

Daniel Sturridge continues to surprise, and probably continues to surprise himself, with the fantastic way that he has embraced his employment on the wing.

Another goal for him, taking his league tally to four. Not a paltry figure after just 8 games, but still overshadowed by the offerings of the Mancunian strike-forces.

Clinical was not an accusation you would've flung in the direction of Chelsea against Man United, with sitters galore, but when little Ramires bundled home the third Chelsea goal against the Toffees he had just made sure at that stage in the game that 100% of our chances on goal were converted.

The progression is there for all to see, Ramires - alongside the aforementioned Sturridge - as well as Bosingwa, who is playing as if a new signing, and the actual new addition to the team Mata have all been part of the adaptation to a new and exciting side.

Abramovich has been after entertainment, and he is getting it.

There has been a bit made of the fact that once again we failed to keep a clean sheet, but a high line and a more attacking approach are more to blame than haphazard defending - and in the name of entertainment the odd concession of a goal against isn't the end of the world.

After all it doesn't matter a jot if you concede in cases where you have scored 3 (a la Everton) and 5 (a la Bolton).

The best part of Saturday's result was again the players not involved in that match, and no I am not simply talking about Kalou's omission but more the fact that we have such options with Meireles, Malouda, Luiz and Alex just some of the available, yet notable, absences on the team sheet.

With Torres coming back for the Champions' League tie against Genk, and only having one game remaining of his ban, we again have further options and ability to introduce fresh legs.

Which segues on rather nicely to Drogba.

I did initially want to do a piece on the demise of DD, however feel that he is owed enough respect not to warrant a monologue on the topic after he has brought so much to the club.

However, it is worthy of a mention. The last two games, even though we have won both, have seen very little of note from the Ivorian. On top of a damp squib of a season from him last year, I am fearful that the best days are over for the big man.

It is sad to see, usually we are used to Drogba starting and having a huge impact on games, but against both Everton and Bolton he was virtually anonymous. He did supply a fantastic pass to Mata in the build up for the third, but truly that was about it from him on Saturday.

Sadly he is part of the old revolution, and with a new revolution comes the passing of the baton. This isn't saying that he won't have some part to play in this season at all, he could well be a big part of the story - but not the protagonist he once was.

Frank Lampard though has shown that there is life in the old horse yet, his last two games for Chelsea have been great. The Bolton one especially. His epitaph writers can put their carving implements away for just a little while longer.

Enough about the personnel though and more about the team.

Saturday's result was a big one. We haven't beaten Everton in three seasons, home or away, and have struggled against them in the past owing to how well organised they are.

Granted they weren't as good on Saturday as they have been in the past but they always find another gear against us, so it should be appreciated that even though they appeared to be playing two banks of defenders with two up front we still managed to convert our chances.

That is what winning games is about, the biggest what if in football tends to be "what if he tucked that away".

Terry, Sturridge and Ramires did tuck it away, and showed that where we were lacking in idea and creativity last season, we certainly aren't amiss in that ability this season.

We have the matter of a Champions' League match against Genk before we head to what is sure to be a tricky tie at Loftus Road this weekend.

Derbies always have an edge surrounding them, this one will be QPR's opportunity to show that they aren't going to be the whipping boys of the league and also a chance to get one over on their local rivals.

For us it will be business as usual, QPR haven't been an entity for some years now and it will take a professional performance, which we are more than capable of, to despatch of them.

They will be up and at 'em with players like Barton looking to bully us into submission, so with our newly found creative ability we will also need to look into the past slightly and summon up some of that strength. One thing that Chelsea and United have always boasted was the fact that they wouldn't be bullied out of a game, something Arsenal have lacked for some years now.

A win against QPR may be a tough prospect on paper but we have the faculties to deal with them, and keep our revolution chugging along nicely.

Keep The Blue Flag Flying High!