Chelsea

Abramovich looks into signing some Manchester chancer.

I assume you mean Vieri, Ronaldinho etc ... Abramovich has largely been bidding for the best players in the world (well those not covetted by Real Madrid) and naturally these players want to play for the top teams. Chelsea do not have the perception of being one of these elite clubs (yet). A good showing in this seasons Champions League will change this. They will come - only later rather than sooner.

The interest shown in young British talent (Johnson, Duff, Bridge)is heartening - so hopefully the likes of Lampard and Carlton Cole will not be frozen out.

oh, and I hate Spurs, as much if not more than I hate Arsenal :)

i think Jody Morris to Cardiff is a good fit all round - good for Cardiff as he is a fine player, good for Jody in the big fish/small pond way. can't wait for the first niteclub incident.

Dr C - can you really see Abramovich spunking a load of cash all over Stamford Bridge and then buggering off? I mean, he may be one of the richest men in the world but it's hardly pocket change to him, is it?

So, Abramovich is Supa Ultra Rich? can't see any development really. buying 'the best players in the world' doesnt make you the best team in the world. It just gives you a team full of coke-addicts.

and, as pointed out earlier, why would these players really want to go to chelsea, other than for naked greed?
ambition ?!?!??!!?

Anyway G, your players are always splashed over the papers. Admittedly it's either that they are being sold or that they have been making unsavoury holiday videos.....

it's certainly making my pre-season.

It's all very well lining up Lazio, but you can't pop down to Lakeside afterwards, can you?

I'd be so happy if some rich person bought Bristol Rovers. Doesn't have to be billionaire rich - someone who gives us security and gets us so we aren't having to sell every decent player we find/develop would be fine.

duff looked great in the last 30mins against malaysia. his link-up with jimmy and eidur already has me drooling

latest rumour is that another attempt was made to sign raul. (he said no).

why? i should imagine he's quite chuffed at being in the Champions League QF (not to mention sitting 2nd in the prem), his personal conribution to the team has been acclaimed by pretty much everyone. when he's fit he plays. don't see the problem really. if you are thinking about the arrival of Robben - there is no reason why they can't play in the same side. Both are as effective through the middle as on the left (very much in the giggs mould)

who will leave? petit, jimmy, stanic, melchiot ... not joe cole (just the usual tabloid bollox).

who will come? a right-sided midfielder/winger(joachim/nedved/beckham pls mr abramovich) and a right back. (oh and if liverpool implode then owen.)

hahaha

I so wanted Hartson to reenact that when he came to Celtic Park - it was however the easiest way to get shot of Berkovic without actually sacking him for being a lazy useless git...

The likely scenario is that we'll end up with a situation where younger players will plump for United, Liverpool or even Newcastle as opposed to Chelsea for the sake of their own career.

"I have to admit that in the heat of our confrontation I did actually threaten Mourinho about what would happen if he ever went to Romania," said Mutu.

"In a moment of total madness, I almost hit him, too. But now I am calmer and I must say I have nothing against the coach."

good lord.

i'm sad that mutu may be leaving the premiership soon. he seems like an entertaining sort of fellow.

*applications welcome.

COKE-SNORTING MUTU SUCKED MY BLOOD

Yay!

during that time he has scored 6 times

during those 1046 minutes, chelsea have conceded ONE goal.

"If you have the prestige of having been in premiership management for 10 years and had been sucessful, you can get away with your players swearing and scruffling in the tunnels and on the pitch, and headbutting people, whereas if you've just come from Europe.. etc"

(This thread should be revived often so we can read about the imminent surplusness of Lampard)

i was delighted to see him score though. i think his best asset is his positional sense - he always seems to be sitting in the perfect spot in front of the defence to make an interception or close down an oncoming attack. it can be awe-inspiring to see that sort of footballing intelligence at work, though i guess it's not as aesthetically pleasing as other football skills.

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Eh? So football began in 1992 with the Premiership, presumably.

Erm... Alba - either you or me are on the wrong thread.

Dear Chelsea fans,

When Roman A withdraws support from Chelsea in a few years time and demands his £850 million loan back within eighteen months, what are you going to call the team formed from the club's ashes that'll have to start in Combined Counties League? Chelsea Blues 1905 FC?

Fulham Reserves

Remember when we all thought Chelsea were going to be this unstoppable force in English football and win the League every single season for the next 50 years?

no. it was obvious what would happen!

Wonder if any of the Chelsea players will pull an Angelo DiLivio and keep playing for the club, in a lower division, with a 95% pay cut.

SWP, maybe.

i was getting a bit nostalgic for Mourinho's first Chelsea last night tho - Duff, Gudjohnsen, Robben's first 6 months...

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51CtJFSm%2BKL._SS500_.jpg

So the fact that a genuinely exciting and amazing Champions League contending Chelsea team is now a real possibility annoys me somewhat. Mostly because I think "he could have bought Spurs!" but also because I can see them playing mouthwatering Real Madrid-esque football just a couple of seasons down the line.

jesus, i mean we all thought this a little, but who writes it down??

just think, you could've paid £32m for Bent

berbatov on the bench behind shevchenko oh christ.

Why is Jodie Morris going to Cardiff?
-- chris (chris), Tuesday, 15 July 2003 14:09 (4 years ago) Bookmark Link

^^^true human cost of the Abramovich years.

5 years of this. Wow.

but also because I can see them playing mouthwatering Real Madrid-esque football just a couple of seasons down the line

That obviously went out the window as soon as Mourinho was appointed

I dunno, that first season with him managing was quite exciting, wasn't it?

no

i think it was

they were involved in some fairly exciting games - carling cup final, barcelona and bayern in the champions league spring to mind

exciting? yes. mouthwatering football? notsomuch.

They had Robben and played him properly; the 4-3-3 formation, wasn't it? I quite like that as an attacking formation.

Exciting football with lots of goals IS mouthwatering, isn't it?

Yeah Robben and Duff as a pair of proper flying wingers were great to watch.

Chelsea 2 (1) - 2(0) Bolton
Duff 1
Tiago 48
Davies 52
Jaidi 87
on 20-11-2004

Bolton v good at gettign a point at Stamford Bridge

Arsenal 2 (2) - 2(1) Chelsea
Henry 2
Terry 17
Henry 29
Gudjohnsen 46
on 12-12-2004

i can't remember anything about this - and had forgotten all about Tiago

Was that when Henry took the quick free kick?

this one is quite telling:

Fulham 1 (0) - 4(1) Chelsea
Diop 57
Lampard 33
Robben 59
Gallas 73
Tiago 81
on 13-11-2004

sitting on the game at 1-0 until plucky Fulham draw level and then it's like flipping a switch. cynical bastads.

13/11/04 - without checking, would that be the same weekend as B'ham 0-1 Everton (Gravesen pen) and L'pool 3-2 C Palace (two Baros pens)? Have a memory of listening to Fulham-Chelsea on the radio, driving back from Sefton Park.

I recall Chelsea beating someone 5-1 away that season (Bolton?) from 1-0 down at half-time; Mourinho just shifted things around.