Blackpool in the Premier League 10 years on: Chelsea show Premier League champion quality

After winning at Newcastle United, Blackpool headed to Chelsea on this weekend in 2010 as STEVE CANAVAN reported....

Had the Pope himself strode into the centre circle and blessed each of Ian Holloway’s players before kick-off, it wouldn’t have been enough to save the Seasiders.

Against a ruthless, powerful unit like Chelsea, who play with frighteningly brutal efficiency, it takes more than divine intervention for an opposition team to get a result, especially at Stamford Bridge.

Only Manchester City won at the home of Carlo Ancelotti’s champions last season.

In truth Blackpool, who last season played at places like Scunthorpe and Plymouth, and whose weekly wage bill is a fraction of what John Terry alone takes home, probably never expected to leave London with anything to show for their visit.

But at half-time they must have wished they’d never bothered showing up in the first place.

In that 45 minutes Chelsea were more machines than humans, cutting through Pool like the proverbial knife through butter.

In the second half it was much better, with Holloway reverting to his tried and trusted 4-3-3 formation (in the first period he’d employed Alex Baptiste in front of the back four in an effort at protection – “ I won’t be doing it again,” he said afterwards).

It was 0-0 in that second period, which pleased the boss greatly.

Sure Chelsea took their foot off the gas a little – at 4-0 they already had the game won – but the Seasiders at least restored some pride and that was important.

It means they can face Blackburn next week – a game which, unlike this one, they have high hopes of getting something from with confidence intact.

If the second period had been the same as the first, that confidence might have been shattered.

It was a tough trip all round, for never mind the game, Pool even had problems booking accommodation.

Almost every hotel room in the capital was filled on Saturday because of the Pope’s presence.

I’m assuming you’ve heard about the visit of his Holiness? Sky News appear particularly obsessed.

In 15 minutes of watching the channel yesterday I learned that the Popemobile has been upgraded and redesigned five times since 1982 and that the security guards who walk alongside it “always look alertly at the nearby crowd”.

Really? Well blow me. I assumed the Pope’s security would look for potential threats lazily or half-heartedly. Alertly? Well I never.

It’s a shame the Pope couldn’t make yesterday’s match – apparently he was desperate to come but had to nip to church or something – for there was some fine football on display.

Alas, though, in the first half it all came from Chelsea. Even without Terry and Frank Lampard, both injured, they were stunningly good.

They make the game seem simple and were a level beyond even Arsenal, such was the ease with which they carved out opportunities.

How could they not be a great side, though, when they’ve the likes of Didier Drogba, Ashley Cole and Florent Malouda on the pitch? Nicolas Anelka only made the bench.

Pool have their fair share of talent too, but it was never going to be enough against a team put together at terrific expense thanks to the vast depths of Roman Abramovich’s pockets.

Valery Belokon might have a few quid, so too Owen Oyston.

But Abramovich is something else and football hasn’t quite been the same since he rolled up in London flashing his cash, the first in a long line of foreign owners who all too often view clubs as toys and make me worry about what might happen when and if the footballing bubble bursts.

Thankfully Abramovich seems one of the more sensible. As does Belokon, who flew in from Latvia to take his seat in the Stamford Bridge directors’ box and must have felt pride at watching the Tangerines trot out for this fixture.

If Arsenal felt a little odd, this was perhaps even more surreal – Blackpool against the Premier League champions, in a league match. Where did it all go right?

Not that we had long to dwell on that scenario, because it soon turned into a bit of a nightmare.

There were 76 seconds on the clock when Branislav Ivanovic flicked on Drogba’s corner and Salomon Kalou, in so much space it was criminal, knocked the ball in.

Against the one team that really don’t need gifts, Pool had handed over a giant one within seconds.

Malouda made it 2-0, tapping in on 12 minutes after Drogba’s run split the right side of the Seasiders’ backline.

Baptiste, looking a little lost as a holding midfielder, had some joy when he forced Petr Cech into a great diving save.

But then normal service was resumed on the half-hour, Drogba’s shot on the turn hitting Ian Evatt’s backside and wrongfooting Matt Gilks.

Four minutes before the break, Malouda scored his second and the best goal of the afternoon, finishing with powerful accuracy from the edge of the box.

At this point it was a question of ‘how many?’

Full marks then to Holloway for some sterling work at half-time, bringing on Gary Taylor-Fletcher for Neal Eardley and abandoning a formation that wasn’t working.

Taylor-Fletcher played excellently, as did fellow sub Brett Ormerod when he later came on.

It would have been lovely had the Seasiders given their brilliant travelling supporters a goal to cheer.

They did their utmost and came close on several occasions, Marlon Harewood firing into the side-netting, Luke Varney clearing the bar with a volley, DJ Campbell squeezing the ball past Cech but Ivanovic hoofing away the danger, while Taylor-Fletcher’s curling chip was kept out only by a wonderful fingertip save by Cech

Chelsea had further opportunities too, Gilks saving from Kalou, Drogba firing wastefully over and Dekel Keinan clearing Cole’s shot off the line. In the end, 4-0 felt like a minor success.

We’ve said all along that games like this don’t matter. Blackburn next week does.