Chelsea

[stressederic]

This isn't a "writing off Chelsea" post but I can't help but notice they're having trouble at the moment.

 

Apparently they had a "clear the air" team meeting recently and, during a press conference, Scolari had to insist that the players loved him.

 

I just took a quick look at CFCNET and they've got some big old discussions going where the majority of people seem to want Scolari sacked.

 

How bad have things gotten for them?

[Benitez]

they shoulda stuck with Avram

[Falconhoof]

They wanted Avram sacked. They want Scolari sacked despite being in the champions league knock out stages and 2nd in the league.

Spolit s***house fans who don't deserve the success that Abramovich has bought them. They'd want the next manager sacked as well.

 

I only hope Roman gives them what they deserve and pulls out of Chelsea, leaving a rotten husk to collapse in on itself.

[Nerik]

I would not write them off entirely but I fear Man U much more than them in the title race.

[sned]

I would not write them off entirely but I fear Man U much more than them in the title race.

same as that.

 

Chelsea will drop more stupid points that the Mancs will, and today's Chelsea drawn Cup match and extra replay match won't have helped.

 

Mancs have also I think been to Anfield, Arsenal & Stamford Bridge in the league already.

[Dominus Maximus]

In all fairness, most Chelsea fans didn't want Mourinho out. So I think it's fair to complain over Avram and/or Scolari, if you already had the right manager in place. There was no reason to let Mourinho go back then. And that is the real problem imo...

[Tommy Cockles]

C***s.

 

I am reliably informed that the club have started to pay for travel to games in the North as they are concerned about filling their end.

 

Apparently they only took around half their allocation at Goodison recently.

 

 

Big club indeed.

[allawee]

I think Chelsea's main problem is that they have players like Ballack, Drogba and Anelka, who when the sh** hits the fan, they have too bigger egos to roll up their sleeves and mock in. You always get the feeling that they are their for the money and the glory.

 

United, as much as I hate them, their players, fans and manager, I think Ferguson can gulvanise the players and has the authroity that none of his big stars can even question or doubt the orders. If they do, then Ince, Beckham and Rudd can tell them their story!

 

That's why, I don't think Chelsea will be our main threat this year, it is us vs the mancs.

[DJS]

C***s.

 

I am reliably informed that the club have started to pay for travel to games in the North as they are concerned about filling their end.

 

Apparently they only took around half their allocation at Goodison recently.

Big club indeed.

Spot on that.

 

I remember their game at Blackburn earlier this season, half the stand behind the goal was just empty - and i remembered thinking what a joke it was, we take 6000 odd there every time and they couldnt even fill half the stand. Small timers.

[DJS]

I think Chelsea's main problem is that they have players like Ballack, Drogba and Anelka, who when the sh** hits the fan, they have too bigger egos to roll up their sleeves and mock in. You always get the feeling that they are their for the money and the glory.

 

United, as much as I hate them, their players, fans and manager, I think Ferguson can gulvanise the players and has the authroity that none of his big stars can even question or doubt the orders. If they do, then Ince, Beckham and Rudd can tell them their story!

 

That's why, I don't think Chelsea will be our main threat this year, it is us vs the mancs.

Fully agree, it's the obvious consequence of buying players who are just there for the money.

 

They're not there because they want to win for Chelsea, they're there because the wages were the highest offered. When push comes to shove, they're not entirely fussed and if Chelsea go downhill, they'll just jump ship and take the next big offer.

 

Much as i dislike Terry and Lampard, they're two of the few who actually have the hunger and desire and that is what keeps Chelsea going.

[Sion]

Fully agree, it's the obvious consequence of buying players who are just there for the money.

 

They're not there because they want to win for Chelsea, they're there because the wages were the highest offered. When push comes to shove, they're not entirely fussed and if Chelsea go downhill, they'll just jump ship and take the next big offer.

 

Much as i dislike Terry and Lampard, they're two of the few who actually have the hunger and desire and that is what keeps Chelsea going.

That's also the same problem Man City will have

They already are witnessing it with Robinho and Jo and Kompany and it'll just get worse

They can't expect players who move for the money to have the same hunger and desire as the likes of Richard Dunne, they'll get lucky and buy a few who might, but on the whole they won't. That's why Hughes will be out the door soon enough, he won't be able to manage that.

Edited January 4, 2009 by Sion

[DJS]

City seem like they might be doing it more wisely though, rather than just signing the glamourous super-bucks type of player, they look as though they might target people who want to play football and will strengthen the areas that actually need it. They could just go and buy flashy glamour players, but maybe Hughes will be smarter than that, if given the chance.

 

Bridge could easily have stayed at Chelsea and picked up the wages, but he obviously wants to play football. That's the kind of attitude City need to target.

 

On the other hand, they're so rich that they might just have offered Bridge even more money than he's on at Chelsea

[Hassony]

City seem like they might be doing it more wisely though, rather than just signing the glamourous super-bucks type of player, they look as though they might target people who want to play football and will strengthen the areas that actually need it. They could just go and buy flashy glamour players, but maybe Hughes will be smarter than that, if given the chance.

 

Bridge could easily have stayed at Chelsea and picked up the wages, but he obviously wants to play football. That's the kind of attitude City need to target.

 

On the other hand, they're so rich that they might just have offered Bridge even more money than he's on at Chelsea

 

Abrahimovic won the league in his second season at chelsea, I really doubt that city will win the title next season

[ManxRed]

I think Chelsea's main problem is that they have players like Ballack, Drogba and Anelka, who when the sh** hits the fan, they have too bigger egos to roll up their sleeves and mock in. You always get the feeling that they are their for the money and the glory.

 

I was out on the p*ss with a couple of Chelsea fans at the weekend and the view from the Chelsea end is that Deco is the biggest culprit of this. The three you mention are not far behind either.

[yellow jumper]

ballack's always been a player who strolls through the majority of games. he is absolutely capable of stepping up when it counts, however.

 

think one of chelsea's major problems in the last few seasons is that their squad is unbalanced. there's been no coherent transfer policy since mourinho fell out with abramovich.

 

in deco, ballack and lampard you have three players who are all essentially deployed in the same areas of the pitch, and that's before you even mention two other central midfielders in essien and mikel, and then cole (who might also have a shout of playing in behind the striker). they lack width. anelka and drogba can't function together even if he wanted to play them both.

 

they haven't gone for a pure pragmatist in scolari for the exact reason that they wanted to see an improvement in their style of play. and to some extent i'd say they've had that. alternatively they could have stuck with grant who changed more or less nothing and came close to winning everything despite lacking much authority, personality or luck.

 

i'd say it's a pretty hard job to take over from a perceived nobody like grant (who despite that perception took chelsea within a hairs breath of a treble last season) and get the aforementioned mish-mash of players suddenly playing scintillating football while also maintaining results.

Edited January 5, 2009 by george lees

[DJS]

Abrahimovic won the league in his second season at chelsea, I really doubt that city will win the title next season

 

I wasnt saying they'd win it, was i?

[floyd]

Looks like they have spunked another twenty squillion on another duff right back, also

[Sion]

Bridge could easily have stayed at Chelsea and picked up the wages, but he obviously wants to play football. That's the kind of attitude City need to target.

 

Bridge will be on more money at City

[Cam]

Bridge could easily have stayed at Chelsea and picked up the wages, but he obviously wants to play football. That's the kind of attitude City need to target.

If he was that arsed about playing he wouldn't have signed the new contract last year after 3 years of sitting on the bench. He's exactly the kind of player City shouldn't be buying right now - they've already got Wright-Phillips so all they need now is to sign Itandge and they'll have the 3 biggest layabouts you'll find except in a Jeremy Kyle studio.

 

Just as suicidal as going after proven short-term mercenaries like Santa Cruz, Parker, Defoe, Bellamy & Owen whilst jeopardising home-grown talent like Johnson & Sturridge.