Mick Hartley

For connoisseurs of that particular blend of mixed metaphor and cliché that marks out the truly great sports journalist, I recommend this, from Oliver Kay in the Times, under the headline "Liverpool left on the ropes after Branislav Ivanovic lands one-two combination":

The resident disc jockey opted for a Beatles classic at the final whistle. We Can Work It Out sounded like wishful thinking on Liverpool’s part at the end of an evening when the fortress of Anfield was not just stormed but ransacked, but, to put it in another context, who can possibly work out the remarkable transformation that Guus Hiddink has managed in only two months in charge of Chelsea?

It cannot be rocket science, just a case of restoring some much-needed confidence and tactical discipline to a team who had lost their way under Luiz Felipe Scolari. Given the way that Chelsea capitulated at the same venue just before his arrival, though, the Hiddink effect is looking like something close to alchemy. Only not alchemy, since Chelsea, after crowning a superb performance with two goals from Branislav Ivanovic and one from Didier Drogba, are dreaming not of gold but of silver and, specifically, the European Cup that has proved elusive during the Roman Abramovich era.

Right.