A question from a Gooner

[Schu419]

To begin, I'm not having a go here, it's a serious question.

Are any of you here upset about the turn your club has taken? In terms of being "the Yankees" of the Prem, with big-spending owner and the ability to take the world's best talent?

I know it happened at ManU with Glaser buying them and all (see the creation of FC United for example), but I haven't read much about the same at Stamford Bridge.

Or, if none of you here are pissed about it, do you hear that there are large contingents with such feelings outside of the BigSoccer community?

Just wondering.

[srd....]

considering im not american that yankee stuff means nothing to me.

with regards to what any one else thinks,everyones entitled to their own opinion and again doesnt bother me in the slightest.
Roman wanted to buy utd first but they were greedy demanded to much money even for him,they swam with the sharks by floating the club and they got bitten by glazier (sp).

now how many of them would be moaning if roman was their owner???

fans are a fickle lot mate.

[nicephoras]

Haven't met a Chelsea fan in London who's upset about it yet. Mostly because that would be stoopid.

[Middle Of The Shed]

Exactly, we have got what we've craved for ages, success.

And as much as it may pain your Gooner lot and all the opposition fans around the country we really don't give two tosses whether you think we are ruining the Premiership, ruining the world, causing global warming etc.

[Kerry Dixon's Boots]

Honestly? Yes, there is an element of 'going over the top' as far as money spent is concerned.

I love the fact we are winning and that we are capable of bringing the worlds top talent here. I think the money we have spent has also improved the general quality of other clubs who receive the large inflated fees we pay, though the gulf we have created is still too wide for all bar Arsenal, Liverpool and Man Utd to contemplate.

It would be even sweeter to have achieved this level 'naturally' but fans have very short memories. Only 3 years ago people were pissed off that Arsenal and Man U swapped titles for years and no-one could break the duopoly. It took mega money to compete with clubs who were already outspending everyone else (more so Utd than Arsenal but you didn't exactly spend lightly, just more wisely IMHO).

In our last season before roman we bought in one player in the summer (Enrique Lucas on loan) and we were making up ground every year. I have no doubts that in 5 years we would be up there competing but we went there instantly and I'm not sure if other fans expect us not to enjoy success or if it really is jealousy - I think there is a tinge of jealousy and envy. No fan would ever turn down this opportunity for their own club.

We would have loved to be here spending 10% of what we have but Man Utd and Arsenal already created an environment where this was impossible - it took a billionaire to push us over the edge.

[OrlandoSPUR]

I have no doubts that in 5 years we would be up there competing but we went there instantly and I'm not sure if other fans expect us not to enjoy success or if it really is jealousy - I think there is a tinge of jealousy and envy. No fan would ever turn down this opportunity for their own club.


...not being rude but I thought you lot were in large financial trouble before the don showed up, so there could have been a good chance you would have done a Leeds.....

[Kerry Dixon's Boots]

...not being rude but I thought you lot were in large financial trouble before the don showed up, so there could have been a good chance you would have done a Leeds.....
No offence taken mate - very fair point. Our finances were in a lot better shape than Leeds due to the non-football operations (Chelsea Village, hotel, travel and a stronger brand than leeds outside the UK). That last year when we made one loan signing was an indication that we were paying attention to prudence and our income would cover our outgo.

Leeds had no more realisable assets and had budgeted on being a Champions league team year in year out. Our budgets were far more conservative, allowing for modest UEFA runs (and how modest they were, Viking, St Gallen - makes me shudder to think).

The direction we were heading in and Ranieri's influence on a smaller squad that he brought together was working but as I said it would have taken years to reach the ageing squads of Utd and Arsenal as they worsened and our young players improved.

[bmw9983]

No offence taken mate - very fair point. Our finances were in a lot better shape than Leeds due to the non-football operations (Chelsea Village, hotel, travel and a stronger brand than leeds outside the UK). That last year when we made one loan signing was an indication that we were paying attention to prudence and our income would cover our outgo.

Leeds had no more realisable assets and had budgeted on being a Champions league team year in year out. Our budgets were far more conservative, allowing for modest UEFA runs (and how modest they were, Viking, St Gallen - makes me shudder to think).

The direction we were heading in and Ranieri's influence on a smaller squad that he brought together was working but as I said it would have taken years to reach the ageing squads of Utd and Arsenal as they worsened and our young players improved.

Ugh, De Lucas...don't remind me.

[BridgeMonkee]

...not being rude but I thought you lot were in large financial trouble before the don showed up, so there could have been a good chance you would have done a Leeds.....
not really...we never would have 'done a Leeds' because
1. We are based in London, not some filthy northern 3rd world shit hole
2. we were an attractive buy (the proof is in the pudding), truth is that Roman could have bought any team that he wanted, including the Mancaneers, he chose to buy Chelsea because it was an attractive proposition. It hasn't been a bad business deal. In 2004 Forbes valued the club at $339 million. This year it valued the club at $508 million.A recent research survey by Sport+Markt, a German firm, said Chelsea's fan base in the UK has grown from 1 million to 3.8 million in the last three years.

[Kerry Dixon's Boots]

Ugh, De Lucas...don't remind me.

I can do worse. Slavisa Jokanovic. Okay - ban me now, I went too far :D

[Drench]

not really...we never would have 'done a Leeds' because
1. We are based in London, not some filthy northern 3rd world shit hole
2. we were an attractive buy (the proof is in the pudding), truth is that Roman could have bought any team that he wanted, including the Mancaneers, he chose to buy Chelsea because it was an attractive proposition. It hasn't been a bad business deal. In 2004 Forbes valued the club at $339 million. This year it valued the club at $508 million.A recent research survey by Sport+Markt, a German firm, said Chelsea's fan base in the UK has grown from 1 million to 3.8 million in the last three years.

You were ninety nine million pounds in debt before Roman Ambramovich came in, so you could well have done a Leeds but you were an attractive proposition for Roman to inject his pocket money into. It has nothing to do about Northern England. :rolleyes:

a German firm, said Chelsea's fan base in the UK has grown from 1 million to 3.8 million in the last three years

That is quite a shameful statistic it shows that 2.8 million of your fans are glory hunters. It's not something I'd boast about.

[fernb8]

You were ninety nine million pounds in debt before Roman Ambramovich came in, so you could well have done a Leeds but you were an attractive proposition for Roman to inject his pocket money into. It has nothing to do about Northern England. :rolleyes:



That is quite a shameful statistic it shows that 2.8 million of your fans are glory hunters. It's not something I'd boast about.


Why dont we talk about the team you support?

[Drench]

Why dont we talk about the team you support?

Erm Dagenham and Redbridge aren't exactly well established. :D

[Middle Of The Shed]

You were ninety nine million pounds in debt before Roman Ambramovich came in, so you could well have done a Leeds but you were an attractive proposition for Roman to inject his pocket money into. It has nothing to do about Northern England. :rolleyes:



Well essentially it does.
A London based club would be far more desirable and attractive if someone was looking to purchase than one from Oop Norf.

[Drench]

Well essentially it does.
A London based club would be far more desirable and attractive if someone was looking to purchase than one from Oop Norf.

Well I'm sure the big Northern clubs like Manchester United, Newcastle and especially Liverpool would be attractive propsitions. Then again I couldn't see Liverpool or Newcastle accepting someone like Roman, they'd more than likely boycott the club. So in that sense Chelsea was the more attractive club and living quarters. :D

[BridgeMonkee]

You were ninety nine million pounds in debt before Roman Ambramovich came in, so you could well have done a Leeds but you were an attractive proposition for Roman to inject his pocket money into. It has nothing to do about Northern England.




Business 101 – do not invest money in a shit hole


We were an attractive proposition for investment...Roman could have bought any club he wanted, he chose Chelsea FC (London is a better place for a multi-millionaire than a northern shit hole, I mean come on, what would he do in bin-dipper land? where would he/could he go for dinner or the opera, theatre, culture, etc, etc - quality of life: Cosmopolitan London or rat infested Liverpool? :::tricky:::: (hand gesture)

[Clan]

Well I'm sure the big Northern clubs like Manchester United, Newcastle and especially Liverpool would be attractive propsitions. Then again I couldn't see Liverpool or Newcastle accepting someone like Roman, they'd more than likely boycott the club. So in that sense Chelsea was the more attractive club and living quarters. :D

Bollocks.

If fat Freddy sold out - they'd have a bloody party for a Month!

As for the scouse, weren't they just looking for investors from Asia?
The Moores may have had a difficult time in selling out their interest, but in the end if the money was right, I suspect they would.

Fans boycott in Liverpool?
Rubbish, they'd be talking for weeks about how they were going to be the team of old again.

[BridgeMonkee]

I couldn't see Liverpool or Newcastle accepting someone like Roman, they'd more than likely boycott the club.

Yeah, just like all those Mancaneers did :D

Glazer out!!! -- what complete wankers :D

Jaw-dess and bin-dippers would have welcomed Roman, but there was nothing for Roman in those northern shit holes...

[Clan]

No offence taken mate - very fair point. Our finances were in a lot better shape than Leeds due to the non-football operations (Chelsea Village, hotel, travel and a stronger brand than leeds outside the UK). That last year when we made one loan signing was an indication that we were paying attention to prudence and our income would cover our outgo.

Leeds had no more realisable assets and had budgeted on being a Champions league team year in year out. Our budgets were far more conservative, allowing for modest UEFA runs (and how modest they were, Viking, St Gallen - makes me shudder to think).

The direction we were heading in and Ranieri's influence on a smaller squad that he brought together was working but as I said it would have taken years to reach the ageing squads of Utd and Arsenal as they worsened and our young players improved.

Thats not entirely correct.
It was because of the Chelsea Village that we were going down the hole - and rapidly too.
We were struggling to make the interest payments on our debts, the latest installment of the Euro-bond was behind and default was just over the horizon.
We had no money for new players and season tickets were going on sale in December FFS, to get operating cash for the remainder of the season.

We were knackered, make no mistake about that mate.

[Drench]

I would have Roman but I don't think Dagenham and Redbridge would be a great investjment for him. :( :D