What We Learned From The Community Shield

By: Daryl | August 5th, 2007

With all due respect to the Community Shield and the good causes it raises money for, I love it for one reason only. It means Premiership kick off is less than a week away. The Shield game itself is always a little odd, falling somewhere between competitive and friendly, so no-one’s ever quite sure how hard they should be trying. Yellow cards don’t carry over into the season, you can make a million substitutions and no manager’s job or supporter’s loyalty ever depended on winning the Shield. And yet John Obi Mikel was prepared to give Cristiano Ronaldo his very hardest slide tackle. Confusing as it may be, it’s always a good way to get a look and see how the two teams are shaping up for the imminent season.

Manchester United:
Edwin Van der Sar looked the business. After a slightly dodgy 2006/7 he needs to start strong, and what better way then by making himself look 14 feet tall and saving every penalty Chelsea could throw at him?

Rio Ferdinand looked very classy slotting his penalty in the bottom corner. Not so much when he was grabbing at Malouda’s shirt while falling over.

Cristiano Ronaldo was his usual preening self. But you know the season hasn’t properly started yet when Ronaldo screws up a stepover. Also, he seems to be mastering the art of milking the maximum amount of drama from free kicks.

Ryan Giggs has still got it.

Darren Fletcher will never quite have it.

Nani had a little trouble finding his feet. Quite literally, as he fell over with his first touch before deciding to change his boots. But then he settled in and took some very dangerous looking corners.

Chelsea:
Petr Cech will still be wearing his concussion hat for 2007/8. But at least now we know it comes off and isn’t permanently glued to his head. Cech may have been beaten on penalties (where he’s normally strong) but he still had a solid all round game (that phantom flap at a Nani corner excepted.)

Tal Ben Haim could have won Chelsea the Premiership last season. He looked like he belonged in a blue shirt, and if Abramovich could have been persuaded to part with the necessary rubles in January, Ben Haim could have filled the John Terry shaped hole in Chelsea’s defence.

Shaun Wright-Phillips can dribble but he can’t cross. We already knew that, but the fact that SWP is still around for this game suggests he’s going to stay and fight for his place again. He’s either very brave or very foolish. Time will tell.

Florent Malouda looks like the real deal. Anyone willing to injure themselves to score in a semi-competitive game must have something about them.

Joe Cole is not a centre forward.

Steve Sidwell is a tidy and aggressive little player (ask David Beckham) and will fill an important role for Chelsea this season. But he shouldn’t be wearing the number 9 shirt.