Sunderland 2, Chelsea 3
May 25 2009 by Paul Cunningham, The Journal
Ferdinand went into the game having committed the defensive howler at Portsmouth which magnified its importance, Malbranque typically hinted at his class without bringing it to bear while Tainio – again often exposed as damaged goods this term – was culpable for Chelsea’s opener.
While the identity of Sunderland’s next manager is unknown after Ricky Sbragia’s post-match resignation, it seems the Scot will have a big say in how the cash is spent. He must do so more wisely than Keane did with last summer’s booty. This team needs more leaders, more goalscorers across it, more guile and much more consistency.
There have been one or two positives this season, and Kieran Richardson provided a reminder he has been one of them. At times in recent weeks the Londoner has looked as if he would struggle to strike a cow’s posterior with a banjo but he kept his calm to slot away a chance from much nearer in than the litany of opportunities he has blazed high, wide and not very handsome recently.
Grant Leadbitter, another whose stock has risen albeit late in the season when his desire to wear the red-and-white made him stand out, crossed from the left. Under pressure from Kenwyne Jones, Petr Cech misjudged, Richardson shifted the ball into space and placed it beyond the goalkeeper and on-line Ashley Cole.
It cancelled out Nicolas Anelka’s goal five minutes earlier. The sulky Frenchamn, scorer of a hat-trick when the teams met at Stamford Bridge, was always likely to be the most motivated of a Chelsea team bound for Wembley on Saturday. He knew a goal would earn him the Premier League’s golden boot outright and took 48 minutes to claim it, picking the ball up on the halfway line and after making it to the edge of the area with only Tainio’s half-hearted challenge to stop him, finding the net with a brilliant shot.
For 20 minutes it looked like Richardson might earn his side a point, Guus Hiddink’s team playing without the urgency of a group of players desperate to mark the Dutchman’s final Premier League game with a win. Then, a 74th-minute corner was half-cleared to Salomon Kalou and the winger smashed into the net. Cole tapped in a massively unpopular third when Marton Fulop’s save from Florent Malouda fell at his feet.
Jones’s 90th-minute header from Andy Reid’s cross at least ended matters on a high, and even as they took the applause of the stadium at the final whistle, chairman Niall Quinn appeared to be making a pitch to Short, no doubt emphasising the power such loyal support could provide.
That will only happen if the Irishman picks the right manager. This summer will be far, far more important than yesterday’s 90 minutes proved to be.
