The Official Thread of Chelsea FC

[Carmen Stateside]

Fulham are useless!!
Chelski 2 Fulham 1

[ONeill]

2-2

Fulham are great

[el_cuervo_fc]

2 all.  a late scramble

[el_cuervo_fc]

 a nice wee result 

[Carmen Stateside]

Fulham are unreal!!

[Gabriel_Hurl]

Chelsea really should have won today

[Norf Tyrone]

Frustrating day at the Cottage. Totally dominant, and had about 15 shots on target. Fulham have two and score twice. The two goals that were leaked were due to awful defending. Bosingwa gives away a cheap free kick and the defence lets the delivery bounce about, before someone (Mikel I think) loses Dempsey. The second was again shocking defending. You'd think in injury time you'd mark the posts!!

Between the goals Chelsea were actually very good. Drogba looked hungry, and was unlucky not to score, Carvalho came back in and looked like he'd never been away and Joe Cole showed sparks of invention. Frank Lampard was outstanding though, and basically did everything that could've been asked of him.... again.

However, how Deco remains in this side is a mystery. Today he was shocking. No scrap that. He was worse than shocking. I'd love to see his stats but all his forward passes, and set pieces went straight to a Fulham player. His only sucessful passes were backwards, or sideways. Reading the Chelsea forums there is split opinion among other supporters on him.

In truth, our league tilt is on the slide. Three off top is not a major deal, but with trips to OT, Emirates, Villa Park and Anfield to come the run in is extremely tough.

The next league game..... Old Trafford!

[ONeill]

Deco had 14 'bad passes', joint second highest offender alongside Lampard and behind....Ash Cole.

The difference was that Lampard scored 2, had 8 shots, 4 on goal whereas Deco scored 0, had 1 shot and none on target! Even Cole had a shot on target.

[Norf Tyrone]

Deco had 14 'bad passes', joint second highest offender alongside Lampard and behind....Ash Cole.

The difference was that Lampard scored 2, had 8 shots, 4 on goal whereas Deco scored 0, had 1 shot and none on target! Even Cole had a shot on target.

Where did you get them stats ONeill? I'd love to read them. You should have seen Deco's corners....

[Norf Tyrone]

And Mancienne makes it! Massive boost for Chelsea's much maligned youth programme, and will help inspite Kakuta, Stoch, and one or two others bubbling under. Mancienne's progress probably means that Chelsea can probably afford to sell one of their four centre halfs in January with Ivanovic a possible £10 million target for Juventus.

If the stories of Phil needing to sell before he buys it might also mean Bridge being let go, and Ryan Bertrand (Eng U21s) being used as Ashley Cole's back up. Ivanovic and Bridge's departures would give him ~ £15 million for the Jan sales.
All speculation of course!

A very good Chelsea performance yesterday. I have been unimpressed with Anelka so far this season despite the goals, but yesterday he was outstanding and his two goals were stunning finishes. I stated that the system Chelsea plays with one up front didn't suit the French man, but the overlapping full backs supporting the wide men ensure that there are enough bodies there to support Anelka.

3 home games (Newcastle, Arsenal and can;t remember the other) out of our next four games.

Indeed the papers are full of 'Bridge to Man City' today for £10million. Good business if true.

[Norf Tyrone]

At last!
Some good business by the Chelsea board. Wayne Bridge has been very good at Chelsea, but £12 million (£5 million profit) is a good return for a second choice left back. Bridge leaves the Blues with a couple of PL medals, and a clutch of FA Cup and League cup medals.

However he will forever remembered for arguably (Tied with Lampard's at Bolton) Chelsea's most famous ever goal, and one that still sends the shivers down my spine....

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=yA2__3GC-gY


On another note I see some of the youngsters are in line for some time tomorrow v Southend including Mancienne's return from loan. The young lad Bruma at aged 17 is said to be a giant! Not literally though.

[Norf Tyrone]

Embarassing, and BFS has to be looking over his shoulder at this point.

Totally dominated the game from start to finish, but 1-0 is always a dangerous score. In addition he did not use any of these fecking youngsters until Di Santo comes on with two minutes left.

Ah well... another game on the box in a fortnight's time.

[Norf Tyrone]

No more bets on Scolari to go, say bookiesUNEXPECTED SCOLARI-TO-GO GAMBLE
AFTER seeing a flurry of bets which cut the odds for Chelsea boss Scolari tobe the next Premiership boss to lose his job, William Hill have suspendedtheir market.
'When you have punters wanting to bet £500 at 10/1 on something which was50/1 not long ago you have to ask yourself what they may know that youdon't' said Hill's spokesman Graham Sharpe.
Hills had quoted Scolari as a 50/1 shot to be the next Premiership managerto leave his job this season after Chelsea's draw with Southend. On Mondaymorning they took a few bets at 50/1, cut him to 28/1 at which odds theytook more money, shortened him again to 16/1 and to 10/1, but still hadclients - some brand new ones, some well established, coming on to ask forbets of up to £500.
'At that point we decided to suspend the market until we could discover whatthe motive for the gamble may have been' said Sharpe.
**HILLS were making Mark Hughes 10/11 favourite to be the next boss to gowith Tony Adams at 9/4; Southgate 13/2 and Kinnear 9/1. 'It might just bethat a whole host of punters decided Scolari was too big a price to go andall decided to back him at the same time. On the other hand, it might bethat there has been behind the scenes action of some kind at Chelsea' addedSharpe 'It doesn't bode well for Scolari's long term future at the Bridge!But then, he does have previous form - he allegedly accepted the England joband then changed his mind.'

[mountainboii]

You may be due a thread title change soon then Norf.

What do you reckon the chances are of him getting the boot/ doing a Keano?

[Norf Tyrone]

BIG day in the Premier League today. Any Chelsea fan who grew up through the 80s and most of the 90s will tell you that Chelsea's trait is losing to Scunthorpe, and the likes then travelling to somewhere like Old Trafford and winning.

The only thing I desire today is for Chelsea to be positive. If we play to our capabilities there is no reason why we can't collect something from TTOD (C). In that regard I'd like to see both Anelka and Drogba start. In an ideal world they'd start in a 4-4-2, but I don't think OT is the place to go and try that for a first time.

That would mean a 4-1-4-1 is the best that I can hope for, with Anelka and Joe Cole pushing on to assist Drogba, the on fire Frank Lampard and Ballack in the middle with Obi Mikel shoring things up.
The back four are as strong as we can field with the return of JT and Carvalho to the side. However, as in the CL final, I'd be extremely worried about our right back. Fergie is no mug, and I'd expect to see Ronaldo giving a left wing role to go at Bosingwa and expose his defensive frailties. With that in mind Ballack may need to pop across and help out when United have the ball. However with the speed of MU's breaks I can't see the German having the legs to cover EVERY time.

That's what I hope. However I fully expect Malouda or Deco to start in place of one of the strikers.

It's a long time that I went out to watch a Chelsea game where we are as keenly priced by the bookies, and few are giving us a cat in hell's chance.

The only question for me......... Have I got my Chelsea back?
Tell you at 6pm, but I have a funny feeling about today