Chelsea 0-2 Newcastle - The Geordies bring us back down to earth!.

What a difference a week makes in football, talk about being brought back down to earth with a bump from flying high after the Nou Camp and beating QPR 6-1 last Sunday!.

I said in my match preview that with confidence flowing through our squad, I felt confident in Chelsea getting the three points because as far as finishing in the top four was concerned, Tonight was litterally all or nothing. We never gave it our all and we've come away with nothing!.

Roberto Di Matteo made six changes to the side that started against QPR with the likes of Mata, Kalou, Cole and Lampard dropping to the bench. The team selected to start the game was:

Cech, Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Terry(c), Bertrand, Mikel, Meireles, Ramires, Malouda, Sturridge and Torres.

I personally was surprised to see Torres and Meireles feature in this one purely and simply because Meireles WILL start the cup final because he misses the Champions League and I thought that Robbie would go with Nando at Wembley with Didier starting in Munich.

We just never really got going in this one did we. We started off OK but never really got our to our tempo of late. Danny Sturridge should have done better from 12 yards but dragged his attempt wide.

Newcastle, after the initial period in the game, found their feet and began to cause us some problems and then BANG, the first of two wonder strikes from Cisse.

We could be critical of our defence sitting too deep and the fact that we should never have allowed him time to control the ball but, you have to hold your hands up and say that was "World Class!".

It was a shock to say the least and a small kick up the backside to remind us we were in a game at the Bridge. Again though, we struggled and it was only towards the end of the half that Torres found Malouda with a great cross and his header fell wide as I initially thought it was in. You do have to wonder what the outcome would have been if it was the other way around!.

Soon after, Ivanovic headed over the bar before Demba Ba forced a save from Cech and then rattled the crossbar just before the break. It was yet another reminder from Newcastle that they were a force to be reckoned with here.

So half time, am thinking (and tweeted)we were up against it, had to focus on fourth and needed three big changes. I said, Sturridge, Meireles and Malouda off for Mata, Lampard and Kalou.

Juan Mata came on for Danny Sturridge at the start of the second half and we were all pleased as we missed the spark in the middle. Fifteen minutes went by and we had created little as Newcastle were more than happy to sit on their 1-0 advantage.

Florent Malouda then came off to be replaced by Didier Drogba. We had thirty minutes left and I remember thinking "we have more than enough time to turn this round!".

After some handbags between Mikel and Tiote the game was delayed while the Newcastle man received treatment to what at the time looked worse than it turned out to be. It took around seven minutes before the game was restarted, which meant more time for Chelsea to turn it around still.

We started with more urgency but again, Newcastle were happy to soak up the pressure and break up the game, time wasting whenever they could.

Meireles was then eventually replaced by Frank Lampard as RDM threw his big guns forward trying to force a breakthrough but it never happened. Drogba had half a shout for a penalty as Coloccini looked to play the man rather than the ball in the box, blocking Drogba off but the Ref was having none of it.

JT then had a glancing near post header from a corner cleared off the line before the announcement came over the tannoy that there would be a minimum of 10 added minutes. Chelsea still had time - or so we thought!.

Just as I was thinking to myself (knowing that Spurs had virtually already won the game at Bolton by being 4-1 up) "If we could just get one, we'd still be in touch" but then that man Cisse did it again.

I don't care what anyone says, he meant that and my god what a goal. You can't blame Cech at all because his positioning was OK bearing in mind he was never expecting it. Even still, he managed to get fingertips to the ball!.

I've seen at home on SKY shortly after the goal, Alan Pardew speaking to Didier Drogba on that side of the pitch in the aftermath of Cisse's second goal and Drogba's reaction says it all!. It was another World Class strike from a forward we hadn't even heard of a year ago!.

For Newcastle's fans it must have been a similar situation to how we felt last week at the Nou Camp. Up against it and camped inside their own half and at times on the edge of their own area, they were looking to hold out and because of one opportune moment, they score against the run of play and go completely mad!. Even Pardew was telling his players they only had six minutes left to hold out just before Cisse did that!.

So 2-0 down and it was game over. A disappointing result on the night and with that our hopes of finishing in the top four almost certain to have gone!.

Yes we have the final in Munich that could change that (and could have an effect on Newcastle if they pip Spurs to fourth!) and after this, it has literally has turned into a win or bust situation for Chelsea.

After a fantastic run in all competitions to get us back challenging for the top four, tonight we blew it for one reason or another. There will be certain players sitting in that dressing room who will know they should have done better, and probably won't feature at Wembley or Munich now and that's the harsh reality unfortunately.

I do however, like to think that Chelsea fans are a realistic bunch for the most part and tonight will look at the Premier League table and accept that this IS where we have earned the right to be over the course of the season.

Newcastle have earned the right to be where they find themselves and who would have thought they would be at the start of the season. They have a manager in charge who has failed in the Premier League beforehand but gave him a chance and he is proving to everyone just how good he can be.

They have a squad of talented players but compared to us lot around them in the league, the squad isn't blessed with world class players in each position.

Newcastle are a collective of talented, hard working players who know their jobs on that football pitch as individuals and as a team and this season, have gone out and got the job done!.

Alan Pardew has made two signings that have become an instant success at St James' Park (sod the Sports Direct Arena!) in Demba Ba and Cisse and that firepower has led them up the league to where they rightfully sit this morning.

OK they rod their luck at times tonight but as I said before, just like we did at the Nou Camp, you can't complain.

Two world class strikes has dampened the Chelsea spirit tonight and when someone does something like that TWICE to win a game, you have to hold your hands up.

Good luck to Newcastle with the chase for fourth! I'd rather see you get there than Spurs no matter what happens in Munich.

As for Chelsea and all of us, it's time to refocus.

KTBFFH!

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