While Frank Lampard has a chance to steady the ship when Morecambe visit in the 3rd Round of the FA Cup on Sunday lunchtime, Chelsea Women are back in action at Reading.
The fixture clash means that the growing number of Blues fans who follow the women as avidly as the men will be torn between which to watch.
Chelsea’s men utterly failed to counter Man City’s first-half threat at the Bridge last weekend, and fell 3-0 behind. But the fact that they contained the threat, and belatedly got a goal back, when the sides switched ends gives some small hope.
An FA Cup win against Morecambe is an unlikely springboard, but when you’re standing on the diving tower without your trunks, you’ll take anything.
It’s been an eventful week. First Jimmy Greaves, great Chelsea striker, was finally honoured, then one of the Blues’ managerial legends, Tommy Docherty, died.
The man who famously had more clubs than Jack Nicklaus (14 in four countries) generated a slew of glorious quotes. Take Sean Connery. ‘Typical Scot; he may not be sure what he wants, but he’ll fight to the death to get it.’
Or Rod Stewart. ‘I would come back and live in England if the Doc were Prime Minister.’
Even George Best was inspired to call him ‘an agreeable guy who disagreed with everything I did’.
He became Chelsea manager in 1962, gaining promotion, winning the League Cup and reaching the FA Cup final, before going on to manage minor clubs in the north.
If Lampard is to survive, he needs to flex a bit of the Doc’s muscle and stop being so hideously nice.
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and unless specifically stated are not necessarily those of Hammersmith & Fulham Council.
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