The Official Thread of Chelsea FC

[Square Ball]

Norf

if Terry is out untin the end of Jan he misses:


Fixtures

Wednesday, 19 December 2007
Carling Cup
Chelsea v Liverpool, QF, 19:45

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Sunday, 23 December 2007
Barclays Premier League
Blackburn v Chelsea, 16:10

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Wednesday, 26 December 2007
Barclays Premier League
Chelsea v Aston Villa, 13:00

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Saturday, 29 December 2007
Barclays Premier League
Chelsea v Newcastle, 15:00

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Tuesday, 01 January 2008
Barclays Premier League
Fulham v Chelsea, 12:45

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Saturday, 05 January 2008
The FA Cup sponsored by E.ON
Chelsea v QPR, R3, 15:00

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Monday, 14 January 2008
Barclays Premier League
Chelsea v Tottenham, 20:00

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Monday, 21 January 2008
Barclays Premier League
Birmingham v Chelsea, 20:00

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Wednesday, 30 January 2008
Barclays Premier League
Chelsea v Reading, 19:45

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Not really a hard set of matches

[Norf Tyrone]

Fair enough SB.
The fixtures are fairly winable, but NOT if we have no Carvalho or JT. Alex and Carvalho together should be ok.

I never checked the fixtures, but I know we have Lpool on the 10th Feb.

[The Real Laoislad]

Fair enough SB.
The fixtures are fairly winable, but NOT if we have no Carvalho or JT. Alex and Carvalho together should be ok.

I never checked the fixtures, but I know we have Lpool on the 10th Feb.

That will be a Top of the Table clash then...Mark my words!!

[Square Ball]

Fair enough SB.
The fixtures are fairly winable, but NOT if we have no Carvalho or JT. Alex and Carvalho together should be ok.

I never checked the fixtures, but I know we have Lpool on the 10th Feb.

That will be a Top of the Table clash then...Mark my words!!

you get a shock LL? 

[Norf Tyrone]

Looks like Ballack, and even better, Carvalho back for the CC tonight!

[Norf Tyrone]

Jose's back...

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/article610604.ece

[Norf Tyrone]

Great result for the Blues on Sunday, although somewhat luckilly. One unusual elemant of a Blackburn/Chelsea game today is that they didn't try to boot us around the field as they normally do (e.g. Feb 2005). They played some good football, and Bentley especially stood out. Hughes the fecker always gives Chelsea a game, but rolls over in a more conventional style against United.

However the neversaydie culture that Mourinho has installed at the club still resonates as Chelsea battled for the win, thanks to a sublime pass from Kalou, and a finish by Joe Cole.
http://www.chelseavideos.co.uk/JCole/J%20Cole%20v%20Blackburn%2007.avi

Aside from this Kalou, and Cole were woeful.

Best for Chelsea today was the rock Percy Carvalho, and the excellent Lampard.

The big downside from today is Cech's injury. Coupled with Cudicini's absence we are again into the holiday games without our two first choice keepers, and Terry. That aside, on paper at least, that's our hardest of the 4 out of the road.


Still thinking winning the league is going to be very tough, but with 2 less home games played in comparison to United and Arsenal, and with our trips to Old Trafford, The Hameroids, and Anfield out of the road it keeps the dream alive.

[Norf Tyrone]

Norf Tyrone shakes head.

What the feck was that about? At long last Roman got the football he desired. Does he feel any better tonight? Who knows. Who cares. Me...pissed aff to the back teeth. How can you be 3-2 up, with a man advantage and blow it...twice.


Ref was awful, and got almost everything wrong. First Villa goal was offside, Chelsea should've had a pen for a shove on Ashley Cole, penalty that we got looked harsh, free that we got for the 4th goal looked harsh, and then Cole's 'handball' in injury looked nonsense. Ref looking straight at it doesn't give it, but linesman at a 90 degree angle does!

However it doesn't get away from how inept the performance was. It shows the value of Drogba, Terry and then Lampard who went off after 15-20 minutes. Sheva played well, and looked like he waas buzzing..then got subbed! Carvalho played well, and then made a idiotic tackle (Played the ball, but deserved to go). Essien, and Joe Cole were simply dire, and Cech another error(!).

Villa were very good, and more than deserved their point. Agbonlahoyer (Spelling), and Young are flying machines, and the team in generally- despite the 4 goals- are well organised and very hard to break down.

The league is looking a distant hope now, and only an injury crisis will curtail Man United. And when I mean crisis, I mean Ronaldo or/and Vidic out for a while.

Concentrate on the cups as they say!

[Square Ball]

Norf it gets worse for you, from the BBC

Lampard sidelined by thigh injury 

Lampard was sidelined for six weeks earlier in the season
Frank Lampard will miss the rest of Chelsea's festive season programme because of a thigh injury.
The England midfielder limped off after 26 minutes in Chelsea's 4-4 thriller against Aston Villa on Boxing Day.

"Scans have revealed a tear in Frank Lampard's right thigh. The tear is not the same leg that Frank injured earlier in the season," said a club statement.

"He will begin rehabilitation immediately and we hope to have him back playing within a few weeks."

Lampard's injury is yet another setback for Chelsea's title aspirations as they trail Premier League leaders Manchester United by seven points.

Manager Avram Grant is already without captain John Terry and striker Didier Drogba through injuries.


Carvalho's challenge received an instant red card

Ricardo Carvalho faces a likely three-match suspension after he was sent off for a two-footed tackle on Gabriel Agbonlahor at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea have confirmed they will not appeal against Carvalho's dismissal, but will do so for Ashley Cole, who was also sent off for deliberate hand ball in stoppage time against Villa.

The England left-back will have his case heard by the Football Association on Friday.

"It was not easy before without the injured and it's still not easy now, but this is the situation and we need to make the best of it," Grant told BBC Radio Five Live.

Grant's problems will be further exacerbated when he loses Drogba, Salomon Kalou, John Mikel Obi and Michael Essien to the African Cup of Nations in Ghana next month.

Their departures, along with injuries and suspensions, will mean the Israeli is likely to dip into the transfer market to strengthen his weakened squad.

"Everything is always about January because the transfer window is open," said Grant.

"The injured players and the African Nations Cup will make us think more about what we need to do."

Lampard had been sidelined by a thigh injury for six weeks earlier in the season.

The 29-year-old is Chelsea's joint top scorer, along with Drogba, with nine goals in all competitions this season.

[Norf Tyrone]

Wha!

The TV pictures show that Cole didn't handle the ball, yet his appeal fails! No wonder Chelsea fans think there is a conspiracy against the Club!!

Knight and Cole appeals rejected 

Cole and Knight were both dismissed by referee Phil Dowd
Aston Villa defender Zat Knight and Chelsea left-back Ashley Cole have had their appeals against their Boxing Day dismissals rejected.
Cole was sent off for deliberate handball in the 4-4 draw at Stamford Bridge, which led to a spot-kick and Gareth Barry's last-gasp equaliser.

Knight was sent off by referee Phil Dowd for a foul on Chelsea's Michael Ballack that saw a penalty awarded.

Both players will now serve a one-match suspension with immediate effect.

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill told the club website: "We are obviously disappointed because we thought we had a case."

Knight will now miss Saturday's game at Wigan, while Cole will miss the Blues' match against Newcastle.

606: DEBATE
Have your say on this story on 606

With Villa leading 2-0, Knight was sent off just before half-time for a challenge on Ballack, with the subsequent penalty converted by Andriy Shevchenko.

O'Neill claimed the German international dived to win the spot kick, but Ballack has protested his innocence.

"For me there is no discussion about this," he told the London Evening Standard.

"I had the ball and two guys, not just one, came and one pushed me. It was a clear penalty."

Cole was shown a red card in the 90th minute for handball after clearing Gabriel Agbonlahor's header off the line, with the England left-back claiming he headed the ball clear.

Chelsea's Ricardo Carvalho saw red for a two-footed lunge on Agbonlahor and has since apologised for the tackle.

[Norf Tyrone]

Translated from Argentinian reuters below. Essentially Chelsea have signed Franco Di Santo, 18yo striker, for £3.4 million. Di Santo is rated as one of the world's hottest young talents.

ANTIAGOChile, dic. 18 (UPI) -- the president of Italian Audax, Valentin Cantergiani, advanced to have an agreement with the owner of the Chelsea, the Russian industralist Roman Abramovich, so that the young Frank Argentine forward I gave firm Santo by the popular English picture. The big shot of the set of colony declared to the newspaper Third that the ex- ones selected ' albicelest sub-20 is soon to file by the ' Bleus', one of the most powerful clubs of the world. "He is almost everything decided, only lack details that would not have to be a problem. Which? To put to us in agreement in the percentage that it will have left to Audax for one second transference, but all other already he is defined ", assured Cantergiani. I gave Santo took leave Monday of its companions to the square of Florida, as soon as Audax, winner of the regular phase of the Match of Closing, is outside in the semifinals of the second annual contest. Chelsea would have to disburse by the player of 18 years, of 1,93 meters, a total of seven million dollars. The been born one in Mendoza would arrive in the next days to London to sign by five years with the Chelsea, picture champion of the Premier League in seasons 2004-2005 and 2005-2006. I gave Santo would not occupy seat of foreigner in the English club when counting the ram with Italian antecedents.

[Norf Tyrone]

The stats don't add up?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml;jsessionid=ONS4SXTFBKTLLQFIQMFSFF4AVCBQ0IV0?xml=/sport/2007/12/29/nosplit/sfnsta129.xml

Chelsea 14th most fouls
Chelsea most red cards
Chelsea third most yellow cards
Chelsea second most fouled against club!

[Dinny Breen]

The stats don't add up?

It's not about quantity it's about the type of foul, Chelsea are a very cynical side and I for one are glad to see referees standing up to them.

Surprised that Liverpool have had no red cards this year 

[Norf Tyrone]

The stats don't add up?

It's not about quantity it's about the type of foul, Chelsea are a very cynical side and I for one are glad to see referees standing up to them.

Surprised that Liverpool have had no red cards this year 

Crouch has one, but it was in the C Cup. When Clattenberg and Gerard are close friends you wonder!

I understand what you are saying re the type of foul Dinny, and when you look at people like Mikel who's tackling is very poor it adds up. However since Jose left I think refs are not as afraid to book Chelsea players, and indeed some are evening old scores. The Cole example at the weekend adds to that theory, where a ref get a decision wrong, and still it's not rescinded.

As an aside to the foul stats, the crossing stats show two things, 1. With no Drogba we've no aerial threat 2. SWP and Joe Cole are not good enough. Cole was in the past, but needs to reproduce....quickly.

[Dinny Breen]

However since Jose left I think refs are not as afraid to book Chelsea players, and indeed some are evening old scores. The Cole example at the weekend adds to that theory, where a ref get a decision wrong, and still it's not rescinded.

That appeals process is a joke and Cole looked liked he headed the ball away and at it was inconclusive at worst but it didn't look like a handball, unfortunately for Chelsea Ashley Cole is not particular popular with anyone and his reputation did him no favours.

Chelsea are probably the only top 4 team that can't be bullied, they are well able to match fire for fire and can win in different guises but with players like Cole, Carvalho, Terry, Essien, Mikel, Makelele Ben Haim and Drogba how can you surprised these guys pick up red and yellow cards, I mean with the exception of Ben Haim those are all good footballers with bit menance, something the Arsenal players at times can do with...