At Least the sponsor will have been happy. The "Umbro International Tournament" is trying to establish itself as a significant landmark as domestic football gradually eases itself off the beaches of Benidorm and back on to the green, green grass of home in time for the start of another long season. Although an ankle injury to Alan Shearer is hardly the way Umbro would have wished to get maximum exposure it was, it has to be said, the most effective. In terms of publicity, Alan Shearer's torn ligaments are better than those of, say, David Unsworth.
Despite their wretched two days, Newcastle United might even come back next year because the tournament's use is unquestionable - not as a foolproof guide to the coming season, perhaps, but as an introduction to the multitude of summer signings.
It means that those present over the weekend will be able to spread the word that in Gustavo Poyet, Chelsea have a fine addition to their midfield, and that in John Oster, Everton have acquired a teenage winger of undoubted promise.
Similarly last season's Umbro at the City Ground, Nottingham, gave the land a first sighting of Gianluca Vialli in a Chelsea kit and Chelsea and Luca were back again this year, this time at Goodison Park. The venue was the only change, though, because, like last year, Chelsea won the cup again.
"Move over Alex," the Dutchman was heard to be thinking last night. All frivolity aside, however, the professionals will insist that all you can do is beat those placed in front of you and, that winning is a habit. They have a point - although Howard Kendall's statement that: "Reaching the final is an achievement in itself," was a bit over the top.
But there was enough evidence of needle in both Chelsea's games - against Newcastle on Saturday and Everton yesterday - to justify a claim that such tournaments are not completely meaningless.
It certainly was not for Shearer who, even before he stretched unchallenged for a Philippe Albert pass in injury-time on Saturday and collapsed in real pain, had already displayed his commitment with a crunching tackle on Danny Granville that will have made the young man's bones groan.
Granville, bought from Cambridge United, is English at least, one of only four to start for Chelsea yesterday and it was no surprise therefore to note that their scorers were both foreigners - Gianfranco Zola and Vialli.
Zola's two late goals killed off the brief Everton revival that had culminated in a Duncan Ferguson header, but Kendall was pleased that his side had looked more coherent than they had the previous day against Ajax, even though they defeated the prestigious Dutchmen. Gary Speed's neat finish was the only goal but the result did not reflect the superior smoothness of Ajax's passing. The Dutch did get a measure of revenge against Newcastle in what was ultimately a comfortable 3-0 win.
Newcastle's tournament was best summed up by the surname of their opposition's goalkeeper yesterday - Grim. Not a good name for a sponsor.
Ajax: Grim, Tobiasen, F. De Boer, Oliseh, Sier, R. De Boer (Dani 45), Laudrup (Rudy 45), Witschge (Gorre 45), Babangida, Sibon (McCarthy 72), Hoekstra (Arveladze 45). Subs Not Used: Van Der Saar, Melchiot, Reuser. Goals: McCarthy 77, 85, Oliseh 82.
Newcastle: Srnicek, Barton, Hughes, Howey, Beresford, Lee (Watson 56), Batty (Crawford 35), Hamilton, Gillespie (Ketsbaia 56), Beardsley, Asprilla (Tomasson 72). Subs Not Used: Hislop, Pearce, Pinas. Att: 13,320
Referee: P Jones (Loughborough). EVERTON: Gerrard, O'Connor, Hinchcliffe (Bilic 24), Short, Unsworth, Oster, McCann (Barmby 77), Grant (Speed 45), Farrelly (Thomsen 77), Branch (Ferguson 45), Stuart. Subs Not Used: Southall, Phelan. Goals: Ferguson 78.
Chelsea: de Goey, Di Matteo, Zola, Leboeuf, Petrescu (P. Hughes 63), Sinclair, Clarke, Vialli, Granville, Morris, Nicholls (Wise 45). Subs Not Used: M. Hughes, Hitchcock, Clement, Harley. Goals: Vialli 67, Zola 82, 90. Att: 13,320
Referee: S Lodge (Barnsley).
