Newcastle’s famous duo Ant & Dec were at Stamford Bridge, and the sight of our referee, Paul Tierney, positioned at the heart of Chelsea’s pre-match centre-circle huddle resembled one of their Saturday Night Takeaway pranks. ‘Now refuse to move and stand right in the middle of it,’ you could imagine them chortling into his earpiece.
Was Tierney weird for refusing to move out of the way? Absolutely. He should not be slapped on the back by PGMOL head Howard Webb for taking a stand, but criticised for creating a viral moment when he was supposed to be at Stamford Bridge only to uphold the laws of the game, and hopefully without incident. Instead, he made himself the main character of this movie.
Were Chelsea’s players weird for performing their unusual huddle around Tierney? Absolutely. Reece James, or one of their other leaders, should have simply had the players step to the side of their stubborn referee. Instead, they surrounded him to create an absurd situation unbecoming of a team that want to be taken seriously amid accusations of youthful naivety.
It all made for an utterly unserious start at Stamford Bridge, and a ludicrous way for a big game to begin. Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior later told us Tierney’s first item of business at their pre-match meeting with referee was to do with their huddle, and, if indeed the case, it was enough to suggest the PGMOL representative rocked up with a premeditated bee in his bonnet. You suspect he will not be assigned another Chelsea fixture for some time.
However, Chelsea should not seek to blame what then followed on Tierney. Sure, he did not have the greatest game, but the penalty which was not given – for a Nick Woltemade challenge on Cole Palmer – was hardly as clear as Rosenior claimed at his post-match press conference.
At that huddle with the surrounded Tierney, we saw Cole Palmer putting his arm around the referee, Enzo Fernandez chuckling, Marc Cucurella bemused, and so on. Save for James, who told Palmer to behave, it looked schoolboyish. Locked in, they were not, and Chelsea played like that, too, when this was supposed to be a key clash in their Champions League chase. Nobody in blue put in a particularly dazzling performance.
Referee Paul Tierney bizarrely found himself in the middle of Chelsea’s pre-match huddle
The huddle itself was believed to be a brainchild of Willie Isa – Chelsea’s ‘cultural architect’ hired from rugby league – in conjunction with James and other leaders from the side. They perform it before both kick-offs, and stage it slap bang in the middle of the centre circle. At the start of the second half at Stamford Bridge, they were twiddling thumbs because they had to wait for Liam Delap to be substituted on, which only happened once Newcastle’s players had finally taken to the pitch.
Rosenior insists it has nothing to do with antagonising the opposition – and claimed Tierney mentioned his grievance at Arsenal warming up in Chelsea’s half in their Carabao Cup semi-final second leg as if to highlight double standards – but is rather designed to show their unity as a group. Why that requires them performing it in the supposedly neutral area of the centre circle, as opposed to their own half, we do not know.
Daily Mail Sport first noticed this huddle away at Napoli in the Champions League on January 28, and asked Rosenior on it the following week. Who knew something so innocuous would become so mainstream a month and a half later.
It grew into a talking point at this 1-0 home defeat by Newcastle, in part thanks to Tierney but also because of Chelsea’s players themselves.
Blues can’t stop leaking goals
Chelsea have kept a single clean sheet since mid-January – just one in 13 games. How Newcastle scored the game’s only goal here was embarrassingly easy, and when watching it back, Wesley Fofana ought to feel as culpable as anyone.
Fofana had something of a five-yard head start on Anthony Gordon when Joe Willock was played through by Tino Livramento – but his jogging back allowed Gordon to overtake him and score.
Others were at fault, too. Why was Trevoh Chalobah practically in a left back position rather than in a centre-back one? Was it because Marc Cucurella was not completing the defensive shape? Why did James and Moises Caicedo allow such a space between them that all it took was a single pass from a defender to slice open Chelsea? Where were the pressers towards the top of the pitch when Livramento strolled forward with the ball at ease?
It was dire defensively from a fair few involved for Chelsea, but not least Fofana.
Anthony Gordon’s goal means Chelsea have kept just one clean sheet in 13 matches
World’s best right back lines up in midfield again
There was a great big banner for James before kick-off after he signed his new six-year contract.
On Friday, Rosenior described Chelsea’s right back as the best player in the world in his position. On Saturday, he used him in midfield beside Caicedo. Thomas Tuchel was at Stamford Bridge and you have to wonder what England’s manager makes of the persistent use of James as a midfielder rather than a right back in the build-up to this summer’s World Cup in the United States.
Meanwhile, Caicedo being cautioned here means he is now only one yellow from his 10th of the season, which would equal a two-match suspension. Chelsea face Everton and Manchester City next with their aggressive midfielder walking a disciplinary tightrope.
Liam Rosenior described right back James as the best player in the world in his position on Friday, but opted to use him again in midfield on Saturday
Sanchez returns between the sticks
Rosenior brought back Robert Sanchez in goal, though it would appear he had no choice, as we were told Filip Jorgensen picked up a groin problem after making his mistakes in their Champions League loss in Paris on Wednesday. Despite Rosenior insisting he has no clear first-choice, Jorgensen has replaced Sanchez in their biggest games of late.
While Sanchez had the odd shaky moment on the ball after having his confidence crushed, he largely did his job, and was left helpless for Newcastle’s winner from Gordon.
