It takes a lot to quieten a midfield as imposing and inventive as Chelsea’s, but Michael Ballack, Michael Essien and Frank Lampard were clearly uncomfortable having the combative Holland midfield player snapping at their heels. It was the kind of performance Claude Makelele used to produce on a regular basis for Chelsea and Real Madrid.At the risk of getting much too far ahead of myself, I think that one can construct a case that with Owen Hargreaves injured, and Javier Mascherano looking distracted, Nigel de Jong is the best heir to Makélélé currently playing in the Premier League. I've written things in this vein on Twitter once or twice recently and I don't think it's a preposterous claim.
The point, though, is that Makélélé didn't just produce two months worth of top quality performances, he's done it for sufficiently long that he anchored not only one of the best Real Madrid sides in history but also undeniably the greatest ever Chelsea team. Nigel de Jong is only 25 but if he goes on to be half as consistent as Makélélé, then we will have got a decent return on that £16million.
And what exactly is the point in being a City fan if you can't get overexcited after a few good performances?
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