Chelsea FC Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 10/11 (mod warning in post #7124)

the_monkey

At the end of the day a dead rubber is a dead rubber, doesn't matter how strong the team fielded was , the 1st position was untouchable and the players knew this - this has to affect them.

Sunday will see a different team, we are due a prem win - and Spurs keep conceeding - then again I am being positive which surely is a bad sign !! ??

DazMarz

Ok, so last night's game was a 'nothing' game... it would still have been nice to be the only English club ever to have won all their group games in the CL. But that's just pointless rubbish, really.

Sunday is going to be a huge test. Spurs are now genuinely a top drawer team, with some excellent players and playing some excellent football. Chelsea are in the middle of the worst slump I've seen them in since at least 2003. This does not bode well. Unless JT or CA can impress upon the dressing room how vital this game is (as if they need to be told), I can see it going very rapidly pear shaped. Keep them from scoring and try to nick one on the counter. I'd actually take a draw at WHL.

Sunday will tell an awful lot about the team's spirit, ambition and mettle. Even if they lose, a good shift needs to be put in. If they lose with honour, having played well throughout, it won't be too bad. But if they put up another dead-wood performance like has been going on since they played Blackburn a while back (yes, I know that game ended in victory, but it should not have), they can kiss any hopes of any kind of dominance goodbye.

EDIT: also, loving some of the tags for this thread... especially the one 'chd...where are ya'. Nearly brought a tear to my eye!!!

Frisbee

LOL at someone saying Essien is finished. The guy is probably one of if not the best box-to-box central midfielders in Europe. The things I'd do to have him at Arsenal.

Soby

What day is the draw lads?

Gonzovision

17th I think

Essien

chelseavera wrote: »

Dearie Dearie me ..... how can we have so little to offer. Get back quick Frank - Essien is finished!

Go wash out that filthy filthy mouth of yours :eek:

chelseavera

Frisbee wrote: »

LOL at someone saying Essien is finished. The guy is probably one of if not the best box-to-box central midfielders in Europe. The things I'd do to have him at Arsenal.

WAS ...... may be again ..... But I doubt it.

chelseavera

Sorry Boardsie Essien ..... nothing personal. lol!

smuckers

I was annoyed with Didier last night, he was acting it was like his testimonial. Sturridge should have started.

PVA should have started instead of the hapless Ferreria, its decisions like that which make me worry about Carlo boldness regarding changes.

Essien

smuckers wrote: »

PVA should have started instead of the hapless Ferreria, its decisions like that which make me worry about Carlo boldness regarding changes.

Whatever about Drogba, but this one I really couldn't understand. Last night was a prime opportunity to give PVA a full match in real competition and he passed in favour of playing an average albeit experienced defender out of position.

Johner

Looks like Bosingwa is going to miss the game on Sunday.

Ferriera.

GavRedKing

Johner wrote: »

Looks like Bosingwa is going to miss the game on Sunday.

Ferriera.

Bollocks to Ferriera

Please anybody but him against Bale

Johner

Bale made mincemeat of him at WHL last season and only a few months on Bale has gotten better and Ferreira has gotten worse. This won't be good.

GavRedKing

Johner wrote: »

Bale made mincemeat of him at WHL last season and only a few months on Bale has gotten better and Ferreira has gotten worse. This won't be good.

I rememebr it well, didnt Ferriera try and show him down the line everytime and then Bale came in on to his right and smash one in

Johner

gavredking wrote: »

I rememebr it well, didnt Ferriera try and show him down the line everytime and then Bale came in on to his right and smash one in

Yep, I was at the game unfortunately, wasn't pleasant viewing.

smuckers

Bale is only one of the problems we face, he can be handled but it will be a team game and not just PF, he'll need help.

GavRedKing

Johner wrote: »

Yep, I was at the game unfortunately, wasn't pleasant viewing.

True, watching it live wasnt much better, less abuse from the Spuds fans though, hopefully we can raise though for Sunday, in all fairness we are due a bit of luck after the 2 penalties last night, hopefully we can muster together a good performace and take 3 points and start the season again, December is going to be a tough, tough month and we nned as many points as we can get as all the top teams are playing each other this month.

smuckers wrote: »

Bale is only one of the problems we face, he can be handled but it will be a team game and not just PF, he'll need help.

Good point, its a team game, no point 1 or 2 players playing well if the rest are useless and we lose the game. We hopefully will rally and be fired up for itcome Sunday.

the_monkey

quietly confident.....

Essien

the_monkey wrote: »

quietly confident.....

The monkey is quietly confident and I'm really really not a bit confident.......is there something wrong with me?

Gonzovision

Not confident in the slightest.

the_monkey

Chelsea will have periods of absolute class on sunday - but they need to make it count, if they miss chance after chance and then slip down to playing the way we did yesterday - then we're ****ed.

But remember in the Liverpool,Birmingham and Newcastle games we actually played well and were unlucky not to get more from them.

The only bad league games we had in terms of playing badly were Sunderland and Everton ....

Essien

the_monkey wrote: »

Chelsea will have periods of absolute class on sunday - but they need to make it count, if they miss chance after chance and then slip down to playing the way we did yesterday - then we're ****ed.

But remember in the Liverpool,Birmingham and Newcastle games we actually played well and were unlucky not to get more from them.

The only bad league games we had in terms of playing badly were Sunderland and Everton ....

Right.....who hacked his account???

the_monkey

the_monkey wrote: »

Chelsea will have periods of absolute class on sunday - but they need to make it count, if they miss chance after chance and then slip down to playing the way we did yesterday - then we're ****ed.

But remember in the Liverpool,Birmingham and Newcastle games we actually played well and were unlucky not to get more from them.

The only bad league games we had in terms of playing badly were Sunderland and Everton ....

Well , maybe not : "Chelsea will have periods of good decent play" ...

GavRedKing

Essien wrote: »

Right.....who hacked his account???

the_monkey wrote: »

Well , maybe not : "Chelsea will have periods of good decent play" ...

Thats more like it

bullpost

The only thing that gives me any hope for Sunday is we are definitely due a bit of luck.

Number Nine

An Open Letter to the Chelsea Board.
Dear Sirs,

My name is Chris, and I have been a true Blue Chelsea fan for 26 years. I'm one of the site editors/journalists for one of the most successful and viewed fan sites on the web, and a current season ticket holder. I am also a Director-level senior business analyst at a multi-national business intelligence company. I appreciate you gentlemen are very busy, so I will be as to-the-point as I can.

I'm writing this letter based on a few assumptions, which may or may not be correct; the main one being that Carlo Ancelotti's current role at Chelsea Football Club is under some threat given recent results. The media and a large section of our fanbase seem convinced that this is the case, and if so, then it falls to you gentlemen to make that decision.

Respectfully, I would like to make a case for Carlo's defence if I may.

One of the reasons the club has not been as successful in recent times than it might have been, was down to a lack of managerial stability, and I note that Mr Buck has been quoted in the press saying precisely this. Bluntly, I do not think there is another manager in the game today who could do better with the squad Carlo has at his disposal. His track record speaks for itself, and if only for the wonderful moments of last season, I would urge his doubters to show him more loyalty.

Carlo did wonders with a wonderful squad last season, but having shed a great deal of those players from the wage bill, the squad is still strong, but vulnerable to injuries, suspensions and drops in form in a way that we have not seen at the Bridge for more than a decade.

In the drive to achieve self-sufficiency, the cuts that have been made were absolutely necessary in my view, and while it is easy to lament the resulting shallowing of our playing squad, the alternative - UEFA sanction and possible restriction on playing in the European Cup competition, does not bear thinking about. If the board has come under fire for making these cuts, it will not have been from this quarter. I more than most understand the need to be financially self-sufficient, and unreservedly applaud the efforts the board and management have gone to to make this a reality. It seemed little more than a pipe dream just a few short years ago, and yet we stand on the cusp of it in a strong position today and it is to the board's credit that we do so.

Even so, it is inevitable to my mind at least, that having shed so many millions off the wage bill, and being increasingly reliant on a small group of genuinely world class players, backed up by a few (very promising) youngsters, that some degree of revision of expectations would be required for this season.

Whilst the mystifyingly poor run we've been on of late is painful to watch, and I know the board will agree, it is perhaps inevitable, even with the 'Perfect Storm' of injuries, suspensions, poor form and even poorer luck of recent weeks, that such a run would take place eventually. I feel strongly that very little of the recent run can be attributed to Carlo, who has been dignified, has not panicked, or sought to lash out at the media, opposition teams and the officials. For the want of just a couple of the Refereeing decisions we have not been given of late, we would be in a better position today, and I would not feel compelled to write this letter.

The run will end. We still have easily the best first team in English football, and amongst the very finest in the world. The well known saying in football has never been more apt - 'Form is temporary but class is permanent.' Lady Luck, fickle as she is, cannot continue to treat us with such disdain ad infinitum.

I would like to think that once she embraces us again, and the form of a few of our big players returns, this 'bad moment' will be a bad memory, and everyone will be very pleased we did not dispense with the services of our manager. I am positive the board agrees with me.

Thank you for your kind indulgence, and I'd like to wish you the very best season's greetings for the new year.

Yours Sincerely,

CM


Read more: http://www.chelsea.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=521405#ixzz17cv42xsC

jrar

Given Bosingwa is out, what are our options for RB esp. given the threat of Bale ?

a) Ferreira in a like-for-like swap but who is painfully slow and will get burnt for speed big-time given what Bale did to the likes of Maicon !

b) stick Ivan in there who's not the fastest, but is physical and might give Bale a clatter or two which would maybe "soften his cough" ! Downside would mean sticking Bruma in the middle with Terry (or Ferreira god forbid !)

c) Try Bruma at RB with Ivan inside him for doubling-up ? Would mean however that we'd have no fullback threat going fwd. on the right side

d) Try something totally diff. like sticking Ramires in there - we have both Mikel and Essien as holding midfielders with hopefully Lamps back in the middle as well so would he possibly give us an option - he's not very strong but Bales isn't exactly ironman material either, and he would hopefully match him for energy levels etc.

BERBA

jrar wrote: »

Lamps back in the middle as well so would he possibly give us an option.

Lamps is out on sunday

jrar

BERBA wrote: »

Lamps is out on sunday

Yeah, just seeing that now - selection problem for Carlo at RB so - hope he doesn't go with Paulo or we're looking at gifting Spurs an avenue to attack us.

Hard to know why the team is playing so poorly right now - looking at WBA (who played Everton & Newcastle in their last 2 games - as did we), they had movement and won both games effortlessly. In contrast, we struggled at St. James' after gifting the barcodes an early goal, though we were short of luck on the day (aside from Kalou's dreadful miss !) and against Everton, we loked a bit better in 1st half, but then threw away the advantage with a nervy unconvincing 2nd half.......hard to pinpoint where the malaise has come from, or how to stop its spread and get back to winning ways !

SuprSi

Is Ashley Cole fit? Lennon is on a bit of form so I'm curious to know who he's going to be up against.

Johner

Yep Cole is fine.

smuckers

RA backing Carlo with a transfer kitty in Jan, thats good news

Dozen Wicked Words

Ray Wilkins is a true gent,regardless of how good a coach he is, I think the club miss the fact he is a good man.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/c/chelsea/9278475.stm

Former Chelsea assistant manager Ray Wilkins has backed the Blues to reverse an alarming slump in form and get their title defence back on track.
The reigning champions are third in the table having taken two points from a possible 12 since Wilkins left and face a tough trip to Tottenham on Sunday.

"I honestly believe they'll turn it around," Wilkins, who was sacked on 11 November, told BBC Radio 5 live.
"The next three games are a very, very important period for Chelsea."

If Wilkins' old side win at White Hart Lane they will go top of the table, above Manchester United and current leaders Arsenal, who meet at Old Trafford on Monday.
Chelsea then play two more matches which could have a significant impact on the title race, hosting United on Sunday 19 December and travelling to Arsenal on Monday 27 December.
Carlo Ancelotti's men come into this critical run of fixtures in poor form after defeats by Sunderland and Birmingham and draws with Newcastle and Everton.

Their most recent match saw them beaten by Marseille in the Champions League on Wednesday night, although they had already qualified for the knockout stage.

"When you're used to winning all the time it's a kick up the backside when it doesn't all go your way," said Wilkins, who joined Chelsea's coaching staff for a second time in 2008.
"These things can happen and that's what makes our game the best in the world. The results will take care of themselves.
"Yes they have lost a lot of points in that period [since my departure] but they're not massively away from Manchester United or Arsenal.
"They start at probably the best attacking team in the country in Tottenham. If Chelsea are not up for it, it could be another defeat for them, but Tottenham do concede."
"Then it's United at Stamford Bridge and then Arsenal, so these three games are of paramount importance and if they come out with a decent batch of points they'll be right up there again."
"It will be a very difficult period for Carlo if those results weren't to go as he would like."

Ancelotti has come under pressure during Chelsea's disappointing sequence but on Friday the Italian insisted he does not fear for his job after speaking with owner Roman Abramovich.
Many have pointed to Wilkins' dismissal as the key factor behind the recent on-field problems, yet the former England midfielder was quick to suggest there was no correlation.

"That's all it is [a coincidence]," he stated. "I know the quality that's in the dressing room. They've had a few injury problems and suspensions.
"The injury problems aren't coming to normal footballers, they're coming to the likes of Frank Lampard - 20 goals a season from midfield for the last six or seven years - and Michael Essien, suspended for three games.
"These are two powerhouses who would get into the midfield of any team in the world. They're going to be sadly missed."

Wilkins described Ancelotti as a "very good friend" and pointed out that the club's decision to relieve him of his duties was not driven by the manager but Abramovich.
"There was no real explanation as to why I've been dismissed, only that Roman wanted some change," continued Wilkins.
It was a privilege to work with these guys, they've got some of the top players in world football playing there and they shouldn't be languishing where they are at the moment

"When you've spent £750-800m you're entitled to make that change when you wish to make it and unfortunately I was the guy that went.
"But that's his prerogative, he made that decision and I wish them the best of luck.
"It came as a bit of a bolt out of the blue but never be surprised by what happens in football because these things do rear their ugly head now and then.
"Unfortunately I was on the receiving end of it. I'm OK now, I'm over it and just cracking on."

Wilkins, 54, enjoyed a distinguished playing career with the likes of Manchester United, AC Milan, QPR and Rangers after making his Chelsea debut as a 17-year-old in 1973.
He managed QPR and Fulham in the mid-1990s before two spells as Chelsea's assistant coach, helping Gianluca Vialli in 1999 and 2000 before rejoining in September 2008 under Luiz Felipe Scolari.

"It saddens me immensely because it's a place where I thoroughly enjoyed working and to work with the quality of guy [Ancelotti] that I was able to work with was exceptional," added Wilkins.
"We had such a lovely ambiance in which to work that I miss it immensely. In the first week I was bashing the walls and kicking doors but the disappointment has gone now.
"I sincerely hope they buck up and win. It was a privilege to work with these guys, they've got some of the top players in world football playing there and they shouldn't be languishing where they are at the moment."

Johner

Down to 4th.

Sgt Pepper 64

Johner wrote: »

Down to 4th.

Have faith, tomorrow we will be back on top.
Manure and Ars* to draw

The return of 3 point lane......1-2 to the Super Blues

You read it here first!

chelseavera

Class quotes - well done Butch - the media would have loved some mud slinging!

chelseavera

Johner wrote: »

Down to 4th.

Not Pretty. COME ON CHELS!!!!

DOC09UNAM

Sgt Pepper 64 wrote: »

Have faith, tomorrow we will be back on top.
Manure and Ars* to draw

The return of 3 point lane......1-2 to the Super Blues

You read it here first!

Chelski may well go back to top tomorrow.

But United will be there tuesday morning.

BERBA

Sgt Pepper 64 wrote: »

Have faith, tomorrow we will be back on top.
Manure and Ars* to draw

The return of 3 point lane......1-2 to the Super Blues

You read it here first!

Jinx:D

Sgt Pepper 64

BERBA wrote: »

Jinx:D

FAITH! (pls pls pls be right!)

DazMarz

DOC09UNAM wrote: »

Chelski may well go back to top tomorrow.

But United will be there tuesday morning.

This............:(

It's chilly down at the summit here in 4th... Not a good feeling. And could remain languishing there for a while yet.

Lampard needs to return for the United game, as otherwise it could be curtains.

Panthro

Think we should consider letting the youths line out tomorrow!
link

the_monkey

smuckers wrote: »

RA backing Carlo with a transfer kitty in Jan, thats good news

is this reliable ?

Lukker-

the_monkey wrote: »

is this reliable ?

It was quoted from CA himself and on the Chelsea website.


In other news, what better team to play when your in the worst slump in a decade then Spurs? Would a win there rally us or what?

chelseavera

Cant call today. More of the same dross we've watched for a couple of months now - or a big win to get us back on track, with Anelka and Drogs back on the scoresheet. Desperate for us to get back on track. Lose today - and its curtains for this season.

Soby

Was meant to be missing the match due to work but just got a phone call offering me the day off.And boy did i take it .Got a good feeling bout today now.Season restarts today

Any word on team news ?Would'nt mind Essien at right back even?He did score this when he played there

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXeFCLsb258

Lukker-

Soby wrote: »

Was meant to be missing the match due to work but just got a phone call offering me the day off.And boy did i take it .Got a good feeling bout today now.Season restarts today

Any word on team news ?Would'nt mind Essien at right back even?He did score this when he played there

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXeFCLsb258

Was thinking the very same.

I love Paulo, but he's too damn slow to match Bale.

chelseavera

rumours Lampard on the bench. At last .... we could yet come out of this intact!! Nervous - but cant wait.

the_monkey

F*CK!!!!

And I was really happy at 1-1, then to miss a peno in 92nd min just kills it for me .... gutted gutted gutted ...

and worst of all -- ROBBED ...

everdead.ie

the_monkey wrote: »

F*CK!!!!

And I was really happy at 1-1, then to miss a peno in 92nd min just kills it for me .... gutted gutted gutted ...

and worst of all -- ROBBED ...

Never robbed mate Dean gave the correct decision and Drogba failed to convert I thought a draw was probably fair though I am disappointed we didn't win