Chelsea 2004-05 vs Chelsea 2014-15

[Badboy 1,526]

The 04-05 team were a lot more solid then this side and they had a siege mentality that was far greater then this side. That 04-05 team would never have beaten us 5-3 at white hart lane like this side was beaten Makalele would have shut them out !

[DYC. 7,542]

There's no comparison. the 04/05 Chelsea wins by a landslide. More ruthless, more efficient, more balanced, better depth and surprisingly far more entertaining. That team actually went toe to toe and matched or bettered some of the best teams in Europe at the time i.e the likes of Barcelona, Arsenal,Liverpool and so on. Can you imagine this current team going up against Barca successfully without parking the bus like we did that season?

Mourinho was less inclined to sit in front of goal with 10 men for the majority of a game or over two legs in 04/05. The away leg was pretty defensive if I remember correctly though.

04/05 Barca were a fantastic side, but did not compare to Guardiola's Barca or current Barca. Prime Ronaldinho of course with Eto'o and Deco, Puyol in the back. But the likes of Sylvinho, Belletti, Oleguer, Edmilson, Van Bronckhorst, Giuly, young and erratic Valdes were all regulars and not world-class players. Xavi was good but not the juggernaut he would later become. Iniesta and Messi youngsters.

The game at The Bridge was brilliant.

[DYC. 7,542]

The 04-05 team were a lot more solid then this side and they had a siege mentality that was far greater then this side. That 04-05 team would never have beaten us 5-3 at white hart lane like this side was beaten Makalele would have shut them out !

04-05 lost more games than this side though. But yes, 04-05 was extremely tough to play against.

[Tomo 21,680]

They are roughly the same level. If we were to pick a best XI, I'll take more players from this team than that one. That team gets overrated a tad too much. I just think no other manager at the time could understand Mourinho's tactics, especially the way his team's were organised without the ball. It's no surpise in Mourinho's second season, when other managers became more accustomed to his team, the 2005-2006 side as a whole slightly regressed, despite it being improved on with Essien. This team also has more individual quality and difference makers than that other team. I'm convinced this team would have beaten that 'Pool team that knocked us out of the CL.

The 2004-2005 side lost 6 games in all competitions, this team has only lost 3 games all season in over 50 games. This team also has similar record breaking achievements to that team. Most days at the top (200+), least amount of minutes behind all season (171!), which is simply outrageous if you think about it.

This current side is getting a bit to underrated probably because we got knocked out by PSG in the manner we did. In retrospect, it will be probably be rated higher some time in the future. For me it's right up there with that 2004-2005 as the best teams we've ever had.

I looked at the table in 04-05 then 05-06 and we got 95 then 91 points, didn't realise it at the time but the only difference between the two sides point's wise was the results after we lifted the title. We were on 91 point's both times we had the party at The Bridge but in 2005 we picked up four point's in the games after compared to none in 2006.

Which in a way kind of strengthens the argument to try and get 9 point's in the next 3 games, if this team want to be compared to those two in years to come, they will probably atleast have to hit the late 80s.

[MrExcalibur100 7,124]

I looked at the table in 04-05 then 05-06 and we got 95 then 91 points, didn't realise it at the time but the only difference between the two sides point's wise was the results after we lifted the title. We were on 91 point's both times we had the party at The Bridge but in 2005 we picked up four point's in the games after compared to none in 2006.

Which in a way kind of strengthens the argument to try and get 9 point's in the next 3 games, if this team want to be compared to those two in years to come, they will probably atleast have to hit the late 80s.

Yeah, I want us to reach the 90+ mark as well. It will be only the 6th time it has happened in PL history. Man United have done it 2x. We did it 2x back to back and Arsenal did it once with their Invincibles. It will be a PL record 3 times for us.

[The Skipper 20,593]

not even a contest.

the combined team would look something like this

cech

ivanovic carvalho jt(old) gallas

lampard makelele cesc

robben DD hazard

That is some team.

[Rhino's Skin 972]

That is some team.

but could be improved. Didier Drogba wasnt 'all that' in his first season

[Sosuke Aizen 46]

@Henrique

That's an unnecessary glorification of a great team. In that season, there were 11 1-0 results. Let's not pretend that the 04-05 team were a bunch of free flowing football goodness. They weren't. Their best trait was to kill off games after taking the lead. If anything, going by the stereotype, they were even more boring than the present one. In those days, if Chelsea managed to get the lead, the result was a foregone conclusion because Jose would shut up shop. Only reason we didn't get this "beautiful" and "exciting" BS back then is because it was our first title in 50 years and people were largely contemplating on the story of oil rich new footballing power in the scene. So, let's remember the greatness for what it was no what we perceive it to be.

Now, onto the topic- it's not even a competition. 04-05 by far. They were the best ever defensive side PL has ever seen and probably will ever see. They were, unlike the present team, definitely among the top 3 sides in Europe.

[Billy. 2,739]

04-05 for me

also in terms if excitement the 09-10 team was the best

[didierforever 7,349]

if possible, i would like people to post their combined teams of 04-05 and 14-15. would be nice to see who people think would make the cut in the 04-05 team(except hazard of course)

[Tomo 21,680]

Anyone feel a bit sorry for Ash?

He comes in just as our first dominant spell ends and leaves just as we look very likely begin a new one.

We were a successful cup team with Cole here which isn't bad by any stretch of the imagination but there must be a part of him that wishes he was here when we were indisputably the best team in 2005 and again now because let's be honest a prime Ashley Cole would walk into this team and that one.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Anyone feel a bit sorry for Ash?

He comes in just as our first dominant spell ends and leaves just as we look very likely begin a new one.

We were a successful cup team with Cole here which isn't bad by any stretch of the imagination but there must be a part of him that wishes he was here when we were indisputably the best team in 2005 and again now because let's be honest a prime Ashley Cole would walk into this team and that one.

1 EPL, 1 CL, 4 FA Cup, 1 League cup and 1 Europa League...

Yeah, poor guy....

[stroey 2,525]

if possible, i would like people to post their combined teams of 04-05 and 14-15. would be nice to see who people think would make the cut in the 04-05 team(except hazard of course)

Your line up was spot on,

Cech (young)

Iva Carvalho JT (young) Luis

Maka

Lamps Cesc

Robben Diego Hazard

subs: Courtois, Azpi, Matic, DD, Willian, Gudjohnson, Duff/Joe Cole.

The younger JT don't need protection from Azpi, so just play our best attacking LB

Diego is more clinical than DD was.

Iva over Azpi because we have Maka and Carvalho.

[Sosuke Aizen 46]

@Tomo

Yeah, that's so true. Ashley was such a great player for us and gave it his all during his stint here. And who can forget how he trolled the 4rsenal supporters? I am surprised that for some reason he is a lot less revered than the likes of Drogba, Lamps, Cech and Terry. Not saying that he deserves as much respect as these 4 legends but surely his name deserves to be mentioned in the same bracket.

[Blue Colored Sky 1,807]

3 months under Hiddink in 2008-2009.

Barca beat Real 6:2 in the Bernabeu, then 3 days later comes to Chelsea and is completely outplayed with pure tactics and without parking the bus thing.

That was awesome.

I really don't remember 2004-05 that well. It's difficult to say, now you think that Carvalho was the best CB ever walked on the Earth, Makalele wasn't dribbled one single time, every Lampard long shot was dangerously going into the top corner, Robben dribbled everything walking with ease. But reality was diffrent for sure.

Diffrent times. I use Mourinho words when he was asked in 2010 about Carlo Ancelotti's double "You can't compare my Chelsea with his Chelsea, you can't compare my Manchester United with his Manchester United, you can't compare my Aston Villa with his Aston Villa. You can't compare, simply you can't "

[DYC. 7,542]

3 months under Hiddink in 2008-2009.

Barca beat Real 6:2 in the Bernabeu, then 3 days later comes to Chelsea and is completely outplayed with pure tactics and without parking the bus thing.

That was awesome.

I really don't remember 2004-05 that well. It's difficult to say, now you think that Carvalho was the best CB ever walked on the Earth, Makalele wasn't dribbled one single time, every Lampard long shot was dangerously going into the top corner, Robben dribbled everything walking with ease. But reality was diffrent for sure.

Diffrent times. I use Mourinho words when he was asked in 2010 about Carlo Ancelotti's double "You can't compare my Chelsea with his Chelsea, you can't compare my Manchester United with his Manchester United, you can't compare my Aston Villa with his Aston Villa. You can't compare, simply you can't "

Hiddink went straight catenaccio at Camp Nou though. I still remember that game. Ultra defensive. Though unlike 2012 it was well executed if I remember correctly. They hardly created a chance, but neither did Chelsea.

[Blue Colored Sky 1,807]

Hiddink went straight catenaccio at Camp Nou though. I still remember that game. Ultra defensive. Though unlike 2012 it was well executed if I remember correctly. They hardly created a chance, but neither did Chelsea.

And I really can't criticize manager for doing so. Maybe Guus wanted to search the ground first, after all Barca-style was unknown for everyone.

We hardly created any chance but Barca didn't either.

But rematch was fantastic if you include the fact that Barcelona just beat Real at Bernabeu by biggest margin in history. They were absolutely flying going to Stamford Bridge.

[CurlyHairLikeLuiz 1,625]

Cech (o)

Iva Ricky JT (y) Gallas

---Maka. Lamps Matic

---------Cesc

------Diego Drogba(y)

Quite narrow but the fullbacks can sit higher with such midfield steel. Cole would have loved that...