2006 English Premier League Champions

[BarraBrava99 12]

April 29, 2006 www.soccernet.com

Chelsea crush United to win title again

 

LONDON, April 29 (Reuters) - Chelsea retained the Premier League title when they crushed second-placed Manchester United 3-0 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

 

The victory put Jose Mourinho's side 12 points clear of United with two games to play.

 

 

Defender William Gallas gave Chelsea a perfect start, nipping in to head past Edwin van der Sar after four minutes following a Frank Lampard corner.

 

A magnificent individual goal from midfielder Joe Cole just past the hour mark made it 2-0 and Ricardo Carvalho finished off a sweeping move with a fierce shot after 73 minutes to put the title party in full swing.

 

The one blot on the occasion was United and England striker Wayne Rooney being carried off on a stretcher after a heavy fall in the 78th minute that left him clutching his foot in pain.

 

Rooney left the stadium on crutches with United manager Alex Ferguson confirming the 20-year-old had injured his foot, describing it as 'sore'.

 

'It's a fantastic feeling...that's the second in England after two in Portugal,' Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho told Sky Sports, before captain John Terry lifted the trophy.

 

Mourinho also won successive titles in his native Portugal with Porto, as well as the Champions League.

 

'Last season no one believed we would win, last season we were six, seven points ahead and still people doubted,' he said.

 

'This year, in December, people were already saying we were champions.'

 

'Manchester United were fantastic and I think today the result doesn't show how difficult it was for us.'

 

Champions for the first time in 50 years last season, Mourinho's men have carried on where they left off last term by combining rock solid defending with a relentless attack, striking from either midfield with Lampard or from the front with Didier Drogba.

 

Terry led a back line that looked almost invulnerable, helping Chelsea to win their opening nine games of the season and to remain unbeaten until going down to United at Old Trafford in early November.

 

At the turn of the year, they led United by nine points, an advantage that increased, despite a 3-0 drubbing at Middlesbrough, to 18 by mid-March.

 

Chelsea's multi-national mixture of doughty defence and speedy counter-attack led by rotated wingers Dutchman Arjen Robben, Ireland's Damien Duff and Cole and Shaun Wright-Phillips of England proved a winning formula.

 

But Mourinho worried that leading the table from so early in the season might cause problems with motivation later.

 

Alex Ferguson's side, with games in hand, began to chip away with a long winning run of their own and Chelsea dropped points against lowly Fulham and Birmingham.

 

The lead was whittled down to seven before Chelsea replied with renewed spirit, beating West Ham 4-1 on April 9 after scoring all their goals while a man down following the sending off of Portugal midfielder Maniche.

 

United were unexpectedly held to a 0-0 draw by Sunderland and Chelsea capitalised by winning the rest of their games to move within a point of the title before Saturday's showdown.

[BarraBrava99 12]

Mourinho: 'I nearly quit the worst club in the world'

 

Jose Mourinho clinched his second title in two years at Chelsea, threw his medal into the crowd and then admitted he almost quit the club.

 

Mourinho made his confession after the game and said there were a 'couple of times' this season when he wanted to walk away from Stamford Bridge.

 

 

But he assured Blues fans that he is over that emotion and promised to stay with the champions.

 

After a thumping win over closest rivals Manchester United, the Blues boss wants to win a Premiership hat-trick.

 

Mourinho said: 'A couple of times during the season, I thought about closing the door and saying goodbye.

 

'But don't interpret this as a doubt for next season.

 

'I am happy to stay because this is a special club with special people.

 

'Unless the club sacks me, I will be manager here next season. I am not worried about that. I want to stay. I am ready to stay.'

 

William Gallas put Chelsea on the way to victory with a close-range header in the fifth minute.

 

Joe Cole and Ricardo Carvalho stretched the lead with a goal each in the second half.

 

Wayne Rooney gave England fans a World Cup scare when he was carried off with an injured foot, 12 minutes from time.

 

Rooney looked in agony as he clutched his right foot, sparking fears that he had broken the same foot he broke in Euro 2004.

 

United remained hopeful it might not be as bad as first feared and Ferguson hailed Chelsea as worthy champions.

 

But Mourinho fears his achievements will always be tarnished because of the billions of pounds at his disposal from owner Roman Abramovich.

 

Mourinho said: 'For a manager it is the worst club you can work at.

 

'For example I won nine consecutive matches this season and I was never manager of the month. Not one single time.

 

'I have been here for two years, we are champions and I have won manager of the months two times in two years.

 

'That's just a simple example. You do what you can but you are never recognised. Chelsea are always treated in a negative way.'

 

Mourinho tied a Portugal scarf around his neck before launching into his after-match celebrations.

 

Skipper John Terry lifted the trophy and players received their medals but Mourinho gave his medal away.

 

He threw it into the Matthew Harding Lower Stand along with his jacket and, when he was given a second medal, he threw that one in as well.

 

Mourinho said: 'I have a Premiership medal from last season and it's the same medal. I only need one. I can't keep everything I have.

 

'The crowd behind that goal are our best supporters. They always support us the most during the game.

 

'We have an incredible record at home, with just a single draw and they have played a big part in that.

 

'The medal was for everybody but the person who has the medal is lucky. He has a great souvenir unless he puts it on eBay and makes a fortune.'

 

Chelsea have won every home game in the Premiership apart from a 1-1 draw with Charlton in January.

[vthokies4life 10]

I HATE Chelsea and I HATE Morinho....And anyone when someone disagrees with this, I WILL call you a bandwagoner and a fairweather fan, because they have only arrived on the scene in the last couple of years. And if you "like" them, you only like them because they win. Oh yeah, I HATE that punk Abrahamovic too for buying everything Chelsea needs to win.

[BarraBrava99 12]

Haha! Dang man! I guess that means you weren't happy about them winning the title either, huh? That's okay, though, next year is Fulham's year* (if Reading doesn't win it first!*)...

 

*it's fun to dream.

[legend11 32]

Yeah man, I'm not too big of a Chelsea fan either. Fulham, that would be incredible. I would love that for Brian McBride. Another team I've taken a pretty random liking to is Newcastle. When Michael Owen gets healthy, they aren't going to be too bad.

[vthokies4life 10]

Yeah man, definitely. Michael Owen has actually been cleared to play, and that looks good for the English National Team.

[BarraBrava99 12]

What about Rooney? I heard he was out for 6 weeks. That can't be good for their World Cup hopes.

[vthokies4life 10]

Yeah, I read that right after I posted yesterday. That isn't good for them at all....even though he is a head case...

[bluekick 11]

Wayne Rooney is awesome...

[vthokies4life 10]

GREAT player, just needs to get over his aggression, which he has done much better this season.