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Casting Off If it is the case that you need just a first 11 and three or four more players, then why did Christopher Columbus sail to India to discover America? Claudio Ranieri admits he is still on a voyage of discovery with the Chelsea squad.
County happy--Veron to start Just kidding. http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/sport/football/articles/7372645?source=Evening
Re: Casting Off This Ranieri he getting more and more like that crazy Eric Cantona. Next he’ll be talking about seagulls and trawlers and weirdo stuff like that. Still, if he do that, Wenger and Fergie will have problems winning the war of words, never mind the mind games.
Wouldnt be suprised to see a few first teamers rested for this one and a few youngsters and reserves given a run out Any chance for Sullivan in goal? Perhaps resting Cudi could be a good idea. Hopefully Huth, Baba (if healthy), and Melchy will all see time at the back. Mabye DiCesare as well. Mids- Keenan and Stanic possibly. Lamps could do with a rest so I expect Geremi to cetianly get some time on the pitch along with J.Cole. Fowards- Guddy and JFH, maybe Kniessl gets a call up.
You're probably right about benchers and youth players getting a taste of the action for this one. Sullivan should get the nod at goal cos we haven't seen him in action yet and Cudicini can sit out on this one.
I agree about boosting Sullivan up into the goals because Cudicini has done an outstanidng job so far. I would like to see Ranieri try a few different possies for some of the defence and midfield. Ne suggestions?
Notts County's plea to Roman http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/sport/football/articles/7391564?source=Evening Standard Do you lads agree that Roman should part with all the gate receipts and donate them to Notts County?
Well let me see now....... ______________Sullivan __Geremi__Melchiot___Huth__Bridge Gronks___Veron___Makalele__Cole ___________Guddy___Crespo Bench : JFH, Stanic, Gallas, Duff and Lamps
Well according to chelsea tv last night, we are due to put out a strong team, mind you with 22 world class players it is difficult to see how we could not do so. So I don't think there will be many reserves playing but I expect people like Lamps will get a rest as he seems to play every game now
Crafty Ramieri "Two years ago I watched Carlton play for the reserves and I saw two animals in him - one was a rabbit and the other a lion. I want to see that lion come out in him more often" "He is my new little lion, And I like lions" - Ranieri on Hernan Crespo. "He is like a shark, like Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink" - Ranieri on Mutu. "I once said Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink is like a shark and Carlton Cole like a lion. Well, Adrian Mutu is another born predator. In fact, Mutu is like a snake" "I am happy when our fans are happy, when our players are happy and our chairman is on the moon" "One coach was training a player's hair, and another was training another part of his body" - must have been talking about Le Mullet "Football managers are like a parachutist. At times it doesn't open. Here, it is an umbrella. You understand, Mary Poppins?" "One beautiful day, a radiant day, Mr Abramovich introduced himself to me and said I should put a shopping list together" "When I talk to the players I speak first of all in English, then I say 'sorry, now I will speak in Spanish, or Italian. Then on the touchline I speak another language so the other manager doesn't understand what I am saying!"
free audio - FYI http://play.www.planetfootball.servecast.net/downloads/sky/chelsea.ram 2-1 at the half, Jimmy and Guddy on target. Jimmy's supposedly a 30+ yard belter.
Re: Notts County's plea to Roman No. Do you think Bill Gates is going to send me $3 million? And worse, Chelsea are donating all the team shirts from the match to County, whihc by the audacity of the County request (beg) makes our gesture look puny. "Yeah, nice of you to give us a few thousand pounds (shirt auction) play a lot of your best players (keep fans interested for gate receipts) lower ticket prices (encourage more gate receipts) but would you mind giving us all of the money instead of just half, as well ?" I feel for Notts County, but if RA gets arrested for tax evasion, we'll be the biggest screwed club in England.
Money for nothing and kicks for free I don't seem to recall the same level of concern when we almost went out of existance in the early 80's. CFC...cash for Chelsea, Buckets and CPO, coupled with Bates saved the day for us. Many that support the club today probably dont even know how bad it actually was--just as all those gobshytes that say we're not a big club base all their "knowledge" of the club on the mid 70's to mid 90's era. Anyways..... Chelsea through to 4th Round
The Draw Aston Villa v Crystal Palace Reading v Chelsea Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City Southampton v Portsmouth Liverpool v Bolton Wanderers West Bromwich Albion v Manchester United Arsenal v Wolverhampton Wanderers Middlesbrough v Everton What an interesting draw-i was born in Reading.
Not a bad draw, no real suprises left in the cup so you can't expect another easy game, but at least its a division 1 side. I'll be interested to see Pompey-Southampton as well...
Pace v the slow build up Well this was a very entertaining game, I enjoyed it much netter then the recent home games v city and villa. However one point I would like to make. Even a side close to the bottom of Division 2 found it relatively easy to defined against us when we took our time and passed the ball around. They had plenty of time to get 11 men behind the ball and pack the penalty area. It was only when we broke with pace that we really bothered them. Now I know that Premier teams can defend against pace better but Arsenal seem to do ok using the quick break. I think that English fans also enjoy this more and there is a always a big buzz in the crowd when a quick break is on. This generally turns to groans at Stamford Bridge when the attacker suddenly stops on reaching the halfway line looks around and passes inside or backwards! What do others think?
Sorry to labour a point I've already made elsewhere, fellas, but this game showed that Bridge is a better left back than Babayaro... at least on that evidence.
Re: Pace v the slow build up I don't think that's fair. I think we actually break quite well when Duff or Gronkjaer get the ball but, unfortunately, (or fortunately - depending on how you look at it), we tend to maintain possession of the ball well and pass the ball forward like many of the continental sides. I agree that all this rubbish about the ugly English long ball game is just that - rubbish. It's not a question of the long ball or the short ball - it's more a question of the <B>right</B> ball and being able to mix it up to unsettle the opposition. You mention Arsenal but their way of playing hasn't done them any favours in Europe, has it!
Re: Re: Pace v the slow build up Yes it is horses for courses and I can appreciate all aspects of the game, and yes it was Duff that caused them the most problems on Wednesday night. But given that I think we should have a more positive attitude at home. RE Your Bridge comment, I am still not sure, bring back Le Saux is my call better then both of them!
Re: Re: Re: Pace v the slow build up I tend to agree with all your points--in fact if you remember i said as soon as the news came out that it was Ranieris first mistake of the year when he allowed Le Saux to leave the club. I don't think it takes a great deal of talent to defend when all your players are behind the ball.A couple of decent center halves and 8 others to block/get in the way of shots would see most teams lose by the odd goal at best, regardless of if they play in Serie A or division 3.The speed on our team is frightening, but it's hardly used at all, at least not so far anyway. I wonder if it's got to do with the fact that we brought in so many "continental" type of players. Looking at Bridge and Johnson, when they get the ball it's all business and right up the field we gur foreign players, as you said, tend to pass and move, with said pass always going behind or at best alongside them. It's probably all down to the tactics on the training ground though, and thus, in the end, Ranieri himself. I wonder if we had an English manager if we would play at a faster pace more than we do now.Oft times i see that we have players legging it up the field with the ball and nobody to cross/pass it to, as they are busy spreading out in midfield with more concentration on not bunching up across the middle than geting into the box.Reminds me of the a scrum and the wingers geting out wide for the ball to come out of the ruck. Gronkjaer is a great example of this,Duff as well, all alone up the side of the field. I don't think it's fair to call it "long ball" as the days of belting it up the middle to the big head of Dixon are long gone in football tactics for the better teams. The Bridge debate could go on for some time-just like the Veron thing. Matter of opinions and all that. I just haven't warmed to him since he pulled Diouf to the ground in the opener.
Re: Re: Re: Re: Pace v the slow build up Agreed. That probably wasn't his finest piece of play to date. I think that Diouf rather pushed the ball past with little chance of getting to it and Bridge hung a leg out a bit like that Argentine did with Owen in the WC. Still, it was the opener and he's been pretty solid since then, certainly compared to Babayaro on this performance. To be fair I've seen Babayaro be pretty solid too in most games. I suppose it's a case of having a lot of good players - we should complain, huh? Regarding Le Saux I must say I was disappointed too when CR let him go. I don't know what the problem is. Maybe it's the old problem that other people have identified with him, (including several England managers), one of temperament - tremendous player but always had a tendency to 'get involved' if you know what I mean... great shame 'cause I always liked him.