5 star performance +17 after only 12 games. Can this team bang them in or what. I really hope that Ranieri keeps this side together now, limited changes only when needed/forced. 0-4 in Rome 5-0 at home. Can't be a coincidence.
Re: Re: Re: Re: The Duffer to start my prediction as well, clan! would've been very happy with that result but 5-0?!?!? ecstatic just hope international week wont be too much of a distraction...
Wow. I expected the Toon to be a bit anemic without Shearer, but 5-0 is absurd. Your lot are beginning to look very, very scary. Congratulations.
Wow. Simply amazing. To beat wolves 5-nil is one thing. To do it to a side that qualified for the CL is another. I know they didn't have Shearer, but I fail to see how that would have helped their defense. I had us winning this game 3-0, but I'm quite a bit happier with the result. Even Veron (!!!) had a great game. Domestically. Unbelievable!
Cudicini; Bridge, Gallas, Johnson (Huth), Terry; Duff, Lampard, Makelele, Veron; Crespo (Gudjohnsen), Mutu (Cole). I think (subs included) this is our strongest team. This is our best starting eleven and this is the settled and the gelled side. Maybe Desailly on the bench for Huth? But this is it. I think the player who is making the difference out there is Makalele. He's allowing the team to be and to really play creative football.
I agree there Monkee. Unfortunately young Johnson will now have to miss a few matches in the European Cup. It's an automatic ban isn't it in Europe? Three matches as well i believe, regardless of how many seaons it takes to complete them.He won't play in Europe again untill about spring time, silly silly boy!
Couldn't agree more. I think Makelele does all the little things on defense that lets us go forward the way we do. I'm still stunned Real wouldn't pay him what he wanted.
Virtuoso performance! I couldn't believe it when I woke up this morning..... yeah..... I missed the live match on tele as I was sick and bed ridden, and still rueing what I've missed. Anyways..... I will be catching a replay in a few hours time..... I think that both ManUre and Arse got away with the points this time around. How nice if they'd slipped up.... The lads have been wonderful so far.... and as for the word "gelling" ...... puhlease let it be the last time it is spoken here! Oh.... and please start giving more praises for Veron as he's had enough people unjustifiably knocking him already.
Duff's goal was amazing. Southampton on the 22nd, Sparta on the 26th and then Manchester 3 weeks from today on PPV. Make plans now and invite all your friends. I can't friggin wait.
Duff is really putting his confidence on show here, especially THAT goal where he waltzed past three defenders before scoring against Lazio! Beers all round mate! I'll try not to get sick this time too!
Hey Clan I didn't know what the rules were either so I looked them up on the UEFA website and its only a 1 match ban, so he'll have to miss the home match against Sparta Prague but will be eligible for the away game at Besiktas. Here's the link http://www.uefa.com/newsfiles/19071.pdf The part about cards is in section XI Article 19
If you remember, fellas, a week or so back I hypothesized that Veron suffers from his reputation for giving the ball away when put under pressure and also that he is easy to spot because of his bald head. Anyway, I've been watching him in matches since then and I think I might be on to something... This wouldn't be a factor against Lazio, obviously, but it certainly was against Newcastle. I noticed it on quite a few occasions where, when he received the ball, 2 or 3 opposition players went for hjim and yet when Lamps or Makalele got the ball there wasn't quite the same vigour in pressing the ball. What I also noticed, however, was that, when he is on top of his game this means that he can play other players into the space the opposition mid-fielders had vacated. Maybe the fact that we have won the 4 games he has played in this year isn't simply coincidence. I realise he has been played in specific games that suit his talents and also that it's too early to make any real judgements but, even so, it's an interesting idea. I thought he played absolutely magnificently in this one - taking the ball off the opposition, playing people into space up front and then tracking back getting more tackles in. In the first half in particular he seemed to be everywhere.
Not having seen the game, only followed the scrolled text version on soccernet, I can only make general comments: 1. Ranieri has sent a clear message to the team: succeed and the rotation system stops. I think Ranieri is a genius of human psychology, because he makes it look simple. 2. Report on Veron in the latest World Soccer says he will be playing further back in the Argentine midfield. The funny thing the article mentioned is that everyone agrees he's an amzing talent, but no one knows quite where to play him. People who saw him with Crespo at Lazio called their link up telepathic and we haven't seen them play together until just recently, so that should get better and better. Also, Veron (and Crespo, as luck would have it) is an Argie so he is going to catch a lot more flak from the British press and opposition (and our own) fans. I wouldn't at all be surprised if opposition fans don't start chanting things like "remember the Belgrano" at us. Bottom line: give Veron (and Crespo) a break, especially if you are at games at Stamford Bridge. 3. Nice that these two wins have largely shut up the SGE rumors and the cute little "Mr. Tinkerman" talk. 4. This was a depleted Newcastle side, but what is Shearer doing missing a game when he has two weeks to recover from a throat infection? Not that I'm the toughest SOB in the world, but I coached for a month last spring with a throat infection. And Wayne Rooney missed a game because of the flu? I don't miss Sunday league games unless I absolutely can't walk. Odd. 5. Congratulations to Peter Solberg. Nice to see a sportman that genuinely happy about winning something. Sorry, that has nothing to do with Chelsea or anything, but it was a pretty good day for me as a fan yesterday. I wonder how much I could have won, betting on a Chelsea Solberg double?
Awesome win. Where do we find room for Desaillywhen he returns? Bridge, Johnson, Gallas and Terry would all be hard to exclude from the starting 11, but Desailly has the experience and is the captain, so who will it be from those four that starts the match as a sub.?
Funny you should say that. I was thinking to myself just the other day about when we used to sing anti-Argie songs at the Bridge. Falklands and all that.... What shall we do with the Argentineans, What shall we do with the Argentineans, What shall we do with the Argentineans, Air-lie in the morning, Shoot, shoot, shoot the bastards Shoot, shoot, shoot the bastards Shoot, shoot, shoot the bastards Air-lie in the morning I heard that one quite a few times. Then again i heard Cannoville get ridiculed by "our" own lot to. Times change, but, boy, did we have some bad apples......
Well Billy G. and JT are the central defenders so it would have to be one of them, wouldn't it. To be honest, though, are we sure that's going to happen after Desailly's performance against Besiktas...
I attended the match on sunday, sat in east stand lower about 8 rows off the pitch. The seats were amazing when the action was on that side. Chelsea was attacking the other side during the first half, so I missed out a bit. Duff did his celebration slide right in front of me late in the 2nd. I was hoping for a closer more competitive match, but watching the total domination was fun as well. Did Bowyer ever make it past midfield? I don't recall him touching the ball in the chelsea half with a chance to do anything. Watching matches in england is as fun as I thought it would be, would suggest the trip to anyone. Getting tickets only took about 15 minutes, made a round of all the scalpers to see what the tickets looked like and all the prices, and ended up getting the seat for ticket price from a season ticket holder with an extra ticket about 2 hours before the match.
Chelsea are proving themselves to be a team who have gelled in a few months better than most sides gel all season
Yeah, its Desailly's form that's making us inquire about Ayala. There was also that blunder against Blackburn that gifted Cole a goal in the first minute. I hardly think he's done, but I feel more comfortable these days with Terry and Gallas as our preferred pairing.
I might be mistook, but I believe I read recently that all of the players really look up to Desailly. I mean look at his career and he's been absolutely amazing. He's done everything and has so much experience as a defensive midfielder that he's got to help even a player as experienced as Makelele. He's proved his talent and we shouldn't start chucking players just because they are 'xx' years old. Already, we've seen where the rotation system has been critical to our defense. Gallas is the future, but Desailly knows how to win big prizes and isn't going to be overawed by anyone or any event right now. There should be plenty of games for all three central defenders to play, plus Huth, our free kick specialist.
Whoa, I'm hardly pushing Dessa out the door! But realistically, he is getting up in age, and he hasn't looked quite as good as he has in the past. If we were to replace him (this is hypothetical, and only in the close season) I'd like to see another experienced and class player like Ayala come to the Bridge, that's all. Hopefully Dessailly will be with us for another year, though. Oh, and in regards to Makelele, apparently Real miss him: http://www.teamtalk.com/teamtalk/News/Story_Page/0,7760,717656,00.html what a shock, that Real needed a ballwinner in their midfield! I'm still amazed they sold him.