What I'll take most from Wednesday is the difference between victory and defeat...
The width of a post.
Three time's Chelsea hit the post and none were a charm, while gutted in defeat, I'm not disappointed, for ages I watched Chelsea toil in mid table mediocrity, the odd relegation battle, but in the last ten years it's been like watching a child grow and learn, I've seen the progression from mid table to Europe qualification, to trying to muscle in on the title races, to being Champions, the quest through Europe has been the same, a cup winners cup victory got us noticed, successive semi-finals and finally the final itself and but for a slip and the width of a post, I'd have seen them rise to be the cream of Europe.
Not to be...
And this is why I'm not disappointed, Chelsea are still trying to establish themselves as a great club and like many they have to suffer defeat, you can't win them all, but with a final made and semi-final ghost's laid to rest, there's only one step left for Chelsea to join the elite, albeit at the bottom of that group but in that group none the less, Chelsea are still growing and establishing themselves...
Defeat is just part of the growing pains...
