Sunday, January 27, 2013
Player With Potential: Marko Marin
They say he’s not good enough. He’s not made for Chelsea. Just some other player who will disappear. Call me naïve, call me ignorant, but I refuse to believe he will never shine for our team. Never is a strong word and I believe there is always something possible even in the impossible. Who am I referring to? I’m talking about the one who wears the #21 jersey for the Blues. Marko Marin.
He has made only one start in the Premier League during the 2012/2013 campaign. It was a 1-0 home loss against Queens Park Rangers, a team fighting to survive relegation. This match happens to be one of Chelsea’s worst played games so far this season. It was obvious that Marin was nervous for his start because he ended up getting an early yellow card for a rash challenge. Right after this game, I was disappointed to read so many comments targeting Marin’s performance. People like to put the blame on the easy target, but they fail to understand it was not his poor showing alone. It was the WHOLE team who had a rather meek performance and not just a SINGLE player. It’s true his Premier League debut wasn't ideal, but that doesn't mean people should say we need to get rid of him or question why we bought him in the first place. Ever since he picked up a hamstring injury during Chelsea’s preseason, Marko has struggled to regain his fitness level to 100%. It’s astonishing to hear people say his career is over at just 23 years old. I don’t believe he is a lost cause though. At this age, he still has room to grow. However, this can only happen if he is given regular playing time to find his confidence. A coach who believes in him could do wonders for a player’s morale. Marko Marin can show his technical skills for Chelsea under the right circumstances. Piling pressure and not giving him proper chances will not make him go in the right direction. With Hazard given his ban and Moses at AFCON, now is the time to see if Marko can develop with our team. Also, sending him out on loan for the rest of the season is a plausible option to guarantee him more playing time. If we were patient with Torres, why can’t we be patient with Marin? It’s good to be realistic, but let’s not confuse realism with pessimism.
Written by: Goral Patel
Follow me on Twitter: @goralpatel
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| Image via edenhazardy - Tumblr |
Friday, January 25, 2013
It’s Time: Kaka Should Leave Real Madrid
I personally think that it’s a good idea if Kaka departs to another club. Don’t get me wrong, I do like him at Real Madrid (he gets great support from Madridistas and maintains a reputable image for the club) but my issue is that he barely gets any playing time. When I think of Kaka at Madrid, I just picture wasted talent on the bench. This is the same player that had made the starting for almost all of his matches in his Milan days. Kaka now, in the present? He rarely makes it into the starting XI and is even lucky to get some, if any, playing time. It deeply saddens me to see his career has come down to this.
As a Madrid supporter and a Kaka admirer (who doesn’t love this guy?), it pains me to know that someone with great skills and abilities is not able to bounce back because his club won’t give him sufficient opportunities. I am one of those firm believers that feels Kaka is capable of reaching the same potential that he used to live up to. This is why I think that Kaka leaving Real Madrid would be best for his career.
Now I’m not blaming Real Madrid (ok maybe I am a little) but it’s a complicated situation. Part of the blame has to go to them, right? Not giving Kaka enough responsibility and importance on the pitch has got to be a factor that contributes to his poor form.
On the other hand, I can understand where Real Madrid is coming from. They paid a lot of money for him and have high expectations. From the club’s perspective, I do understand that getting a player back into form can be something hard to do, especially at a club like Real Madrid. With top players like Mesut Ozil and Luca Modric competing for the same position as Kaka, getting play time does not come easy. There are high demands in terms of performance.
Real Madrid had paid about 65 million Euros for the Brazilian and won’t sell him off willy-nilly. That is where the problem lies. Real Madrid doesn’t want to sell Kaka because they do not want to lose money. If Kaka stays at the Santiago Bernabéu, it will become harder to return back to form.
Kaka is one of those special individuals that you cannot describe in words (as a person and as a player). Using them would not be adequate enough to express his incomparable qualities.
How do you feel about Kaka? What do you see in his future? I would love to know in the comments!
Also, make sure to follow me on twitter: @OfficialLaxmi
Writer comments: While constructing this post, I watched tons of Kaka videos and enjoyed watching ever minute of it. If you guys want me to create a post with some of my favorite give me a heads up!
Written By: Laxmi Patel
As a Madrid supporter and a Kaka admirer (who doesn’t love this guy?), it pains me to know that someone with great skills and abilities is not able to bounce back because his club won’t give him sufficient opportunities. I am one of those firm believers that feels Kaka is capable of reaching the same potential that he used to live up to. This is why I think that Kaka leaving Real Madrid would be best for his career.
Now I’m not blaming Real Madrid (ok maybe I am a little) but it’s a complicated situation. Part of the blame has to go to them, right? Not giving Kaka enough responsibility and importance on the pitch has got to be a factor that contributes to his poor form.
On the other hand, I can understand where Real Madrid is coming from. They paid a lot of money for him and have high expectations. From the club’s perspective, I do understand that getting a player back into form can be something hard to do, especially at a club like Real Madrid. With top players like Mesut Ozil and Luca Modric competing for the same position as Kaka, getting play time does not come easy. There are high demands in terms of performance.
Real Madrid had paid about 65 million Euros for the Brazilian and won’t sell him off willy-nilly. That is where the problem lies. Real Madrid doesn’t want to sell Kaka because they do not want to lose money. If Kaka stays at the Santiago Bernabéu, it will become harder to return back to form.
Kaka is one of those special individuals that you cannot describe in words (as a person and as a player). Using them would not be adequate enough to express his incomparable qualities.
How do you feel about Kaka? What do you see in his future? I would love to know in the comments!
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| Image via Real Madrid website |
Also, make sure to follow me on twitter: @OfficialLaxmi
Writer comments: While constructing this post, I watched tons of Kaka videos and enjoyed watching ever minute of it. If you guys want me to create a post with some of my favorite give me a heads up!
Written By: Laxmi Patel
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
It’s official. Chelsea have been knocked out of the Capital One Cup. Here are some of my post-match thoughts on Swansea vs. Chelsea in the 2nd leg of the semi-final.
The Good
The starting XI looked promising. With Ba given a start along with Mata, Hazard, and Oscar, it looked like we could do business at Liberty Stadium. I was expecting a comeback for us because I like to be optimistic. Sure the Swans got 2 goals to nil at the Bridge, but if we brought our fighting spirit we could achieve the impossible. Right?
The Bad
That comeback never came. We just couldn't put the ball in the net. With the Swansea defense keeping us at bay, it was hard for us to create chances and use the space effectively. It was frustrating to see our midfield losing sight of the ball in both halves of the game. Too many times I saw Swansea players creeping in our half in the counter attack. Disappointing to see that the match ended in a 0-0 draw and we didn't score against Swansea once in the semi-final.
The Ugly
The major talking point was Hazard vs. the ball boy. A bad talking point that I don’t want to get into, but this whole situation got blown out of proportion. All I have to say is that the ball boy was wrong for time-wasting and Hazard was wrong for handling it the way he did. High intensity games can make players do stupid things, but I don’t think Hazard’s intention was malicious. If anything he should have notified an official if the ball boy wasn't doing his job properly. Hazard and the kid have apologized to each other, so let’s leave it that. Unfortunately, Hazard got a red card, but he will serve his ban accordingly.
Overall
The “Hazard kicking the ball boy” incident has overshadowed a poor Chelsea performance. I’m not sure what was going on in Rafa’s head when he was making the calls. We were weak from a tactical standpoint. In the 68th minute, Rafa substituted David Luiz for Ivanovic. Why was this the first substitution and coming this late? I failed to understand. In the 81st minute, it was Torres on for Oscar. This was right after Hazard’s red card in the 80th minute, so we were pretty shaken up. Again, this substitution was made too late when the game was as good as gone for us. Last substitution was Ryan Bertrand on for Ashley Cole in the 86th minute. A left back in for a left back? Was he trying to give Bertrand more playing time because at this point he must have realized we couldn’t be rescued. This is what Benitez said post-match (via @chelseafc): “We were playing with 10 players, had problems and needed to score three goals. We couldn’t. That’s the main thing.” Isn't it his job to figure out the problems? Take a bow Rafa, take a bow…
Written by: Goral Patel
Follow me on Twitter: @goralpatel
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| Image via alesiaaa - Tumblr |
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Chelsea FC vs. Arsenal
I’m sick. I’m tired. And I have to crunch out a blog post. Let’s do this!
Before I start, I want to take some time to talk about something a bit irrelevant to today’s match. Torres’ hair! What are your thoughts? At first, I thought it might improve his performance (since he won’t have his long hair in his face) but I guess there wasn’t much of a difference. Oh well. Let’s get back to what really matters…
Chelsea versus Arsenal. One of the much anticipated matches this weekend.
Over and over again I tell people that Chelsea lacks consistency. When they have to play against stronger clubs like Manchester United, they give it all that they’ve got and it tends to be a very close game. On the other hand, when they go against mid-table (or borderline relegated teams like QPR) it’s a different story. Chelsea’s inconsistency is another topic on its own so I won‘t go too much into detail about that. (I will eventually make a post dedicated to that issue.)
Here is a general overview of today's match:
First Half
First half was pretty decent. Chelsea had possession and were up two goals (made by Juan Mata and Frank Lampard). Tactically, Chelsea was not great but they had got the job done.
Second Half
Arsenal definitely picked up their pace as Chelsea lagged behind. Eventually, Arsenal netted in a goal (made by Theo Walcott) making the scored 1-2. They did get numerous chances (with several corners) but failed to equalize in the end which led to a 2-1 loss.
My Man Of The Match
My MOTM would have to go to Petr Cech for obvious reasons. He made tons of great saves and prevented Arsenal from equalizing. If it wasn’t for Cech, Chelsea could have possibly lost today.
Thank you for reading and make sure to comment down below! I would love to hear your thoughts! J
**I apologize if this post was not up to par. I've been a little sick these past couple of days and haven't been feeling too fresh. Once I get better, I'll put out some awesome blog posts! Promise ;)
Written by: Laxmi Patel
Before I start, I want to take some time to talk about something a bit irrelevant to today’s match. Torres’ hair! What are your thoughts? At first, I thought it might improve his performance (since he won’t have his long hair in his face) but I guess there wasn’t much of a difference. Oh well. Let’s get back to what really matters…
Chelsea versus Arsenal. One of the much anticipated matches this weekend.
Over and over again I tell people that Chelsea lacks consistency. When they have to play against stronger clubs like Manchester United, they give it all that they’ve got and it tends to be a very close game. On the other hand, when they go against mid-table (or borderline relegated teams like QPR) it’s a different story. Chelsea’s inconsistency is another topic on its own so I won‘t go too much into detail about that. (I will eventually make a post dedicated to that issue.)
Here is a general overview of today's match:
First Half
First half was pretty decent. Chelsea had possession and were up two goals (made by Juan Mata and Frank Lampard). Tactically, Chelsea was not great but they had got the job done.
Second Half
Arsenal definitely picked up their pace as Chelsea lagged behind. Eventually, Arsenal netted in a goal (made by Theo Walcott) making the scored 1-2. They did get numerous chances (with several corners) but failed to equalize in the end which led to a 2-1 loss.
My Man Of The Match
My MOTM would have to go to Petr Cech for obvious reasons. He made tons of great saves and prevented Arsenal from equalizing. If it wasn’t for Cech, Chelsea could have possibly lost today.
Thank you for reading and make sure to comment down below! I would love to hear your thoughts! J
**I apologize if this post was not up to par. I've been a little sick these past couple of days and haven't been feeling too fresh. Once I get better, I'll put out some awesome blog posts! Promise ;)
Written by: Laxmi Patel
London Derby: Chelsea vs. Arsenal (A Chelsea Supporter's POV)
This was our first game in 2013 against Arsenal in the London derby. In the first half we were put on the score sheet by a lovely finish from Juan Mata. Our #10 consistently shows us what a fine, first touch he has to have us go up a goal. Credit has to be given to Azpilicueta for the crosses he continues to provide. Ramires being brought down by Szczesny in the box led to our second goal. Lampard took the penalty and totaled his goal-scoring tally to 195. It was more of a priceless moment to see the camera on Roman’s face at the Bridge. I hope he’s keeping his eye on Super Frank. The closing of the first half showed Chelsea were dominating in attack and overall had better pace against Arsenal. To add to that, our disciplined backline caused problems for Walcott. However, it has been a challenge for Chelsea to keep this momentum going into the second half. This really was a tale of two different halves. After ending a 2-0 lead verses Southampton into a draw, it would‘ve been a blow to go down that road again. I was hoping something like that wouldn't happen, but it almost did. Arsenal came into second half boasting a stronger energy in the attack. It was in the 58th minute Walcott dribbled past our defenders and popped a goal over Cech. It took Arsenal 15 minutes into second half to gain control over our midfield. Needless to say, I was desperate to see another goal from Chelsea. This wouldn't be a Chelsea post, if I didn't mention something about Torres. I only saw Torres wake up when Ba was warming up on the sideline. In the last 10-15 minutes of the game, there were some moments of Torres showing quality pace, but his ineffective 2nd touch lost us the ball. He had his usual misses and apart from that there is nothing else to say about him. Arsenal were a different team than the one we saw first half. Unfortunately, so were we. We gave the ball away and at times looked uninspired. The last 5 minutes of stoppage time had me holding my breath. Three consecutive corners were given to Arsenal and we were playing a scrappy game. It was Gary Cahill’s superb, defensive abilities that caused us to cling onto the win at Stamford Bridge. Our recent performances show we do not have the best home form here. I think we have to address how to respond to the opposing side’s pressure in our midfield and make better decisions. Chelsea had the mental edge at the start of the game, but somehow managed to lose it. The 2-1 full-time score was reminiscent of our win at the Emirates. This means we beat Arsenal both home and away this season. I appreciate the fans who showed amazing support even with the snow and cold. Tonight London is Blue and it will stay that way.
Written by: Goral Patel
Follow me on Twitter: @goralpatel
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| (Image via thereisonlyjuanmata - Tumblr) |
Play Beautiful Introduction
Hello footy fans! My name is Laxmi and I am one of the contributors of Play Beautiful! My sister, Goral, and I have started this blog to share our opinions/thoughts/ideas/etc. about the wonderful world of footy. One of the greater aspects of this blog is that it won’t have a one-sided perspective. You will see many blog posts with different takes on certain topics (rumors, matches, events, etc.). Our aim is to show you that anyone can love footy without judging his or her background. We are just two young women who love the essence and culture of this sport!
Whether you call the sport soccer, football, calcio, or futbol, you can’t deny that there are various aspects that make us love this sport. This is what makes it so amazing! There’s never a dull moment.
Thank you for visiting our blog and we hope that you stay tuned for more!
Written by: Laxmi Patel
Whether you call the sport soccer, football, calcio, or futbol, you can’t deny that there are various aspects that make us love this sport. This is what makes it so amazing! There’s never a dull moment.
Thank you for visiting our blog and we hope that you stay tuned for more!
Written by: Laxmi Patel