Chelsea's chance to rest on laurels

Chelsea 1 Charlton 0: Chelsea have had their day off. Tomorrow they will be back in blinkers at Old Trafford, defending their supremacy as if the title depended on it.

As Jose Mourinho said of Saturday: "This is the last day to enjoy." Alex Ferguson has promised a guard of honour as "that's what Chelsea deserve". But not all is sweet grapes and light. There is sourness too beyond the Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon's "chance" meeting with Rio Ferdinand and the United player's hesitation to sign a new contract.

It is Chelsea's turn to smart as United look to have beaten them to the signature of an 18-year-old Nigerian John Obi Mikel, valued at £5 million and described as "a new Eric Cantona", whom Chelsea have been courting for two years and thought they had won. Chelsea, of course, turned Arjen Robben's head last summer when United believed he was theirs. Those who live by the agent's sword . . . It remains to be seen if the electorate's reduced mandate for mendacity extends to football.

Saturday, though, was not so much a match as a party waiting to happen. It had been waiting a while - 50 years, since Chelsea last won the league title; four months, since they beat Spurs as Arsenal lost at Bolton, pushing a lead of seven points to 10, and Mourinho admitted they "celebrated in the bus"; or seven days, since they tied up the title at Bolton.

In the way of parties it gained nothing by loss of spontaneity and lost something by the intervening deflation of semi-final defeat by Liverpool in the European Cup. The journey, stern going on brilliant, was surely better than this arrival, wholly deserved, a week after the event.

There is a limit to how much postponed jigging and chanting is fun. PA din destroys atmosphere rather than creates it. With only two away games to come, this was all hail and lingering farewell, the lull before the next five years of Mourinho's contract.

Or, rather, it was not quite all hail. Mourinho, in his manager's notes, simply listed 102 names under the headline "These are my champions".

But, if second bottle-washers were named, Roman Abramovich was not. Fortunately, no more than 40 were called individually to the presentation stage. The guard of honour here was of Chelsea Pensioners.

Also in attendance were footballers' children, as well as wives, and an impressive 13 of the Chelsea squad of 1955, when teams were 11 and substitutes unheard of. Mourinho knows the inclusive strengths of family and, though the PA was too excited to name the 13, the manager slipped away from the junketing to shake each of them by the hand. Beneath the steel and passion are charm and awareness to inspire loyalty. Nor was Ken Bates forgotten, in a possible threat to the record number of wicked benefactors in one directors' box.

Mostly Mourinho kept himself in the background but once, unable quite to accept this "day to enjoy", leapt with outstretched arms from the dugout to dispute an inconsequential throw-in.

"My nature is not to be happy with what we do," he said later, still suffering the setback at Anfield to what he calls a "ghost goal".

When asked by a Turk if he had anything to say to her people, he said: "I think you do not have in Istanbul the best final." But he also realises he has surpassed Chelsea's expectation. "I now know that inside the club a lot of people didn't believe we would win the league in the first season. I'm happy (a slip of the tongue perhaps), I'm tired, I'm proud - a lot of feelings at the same time."

"It's fantastic for me, but it's their moment," added the Portuguese-born manager. "I'm proud of everybody and we have to try to repeat it because it's a fantastic feeling."

Charlton were ideal opponents, unable to poop a paper bag lately, let alone a party. Just when they deserved a point for midfield industry, Mike Riley awarded a ghost penalty, for a questionable foul unquestionably outside the area, and Claude Makelele proved a ghost taker, needing the follow-up for his first Chelsea goal.

"I did a diagram," said Mourinho. "If penalty in 90 minute at 0-0 Lampard, at 2-0 Makelele. He took two in training yesterday and missed both." In the spirit of the day insubordination was tolerated. Tomorrow pride and hostilities will resume.