YankinBlue42

I doubt this will every be allowed to happen in England until we're another generation past the Hillsborough disaster. I also question if it really would increase revenue significantly. As we all know, money is what makes the world go round. And if this idea is such a slam dunk money-maker, the rich and powerful owners of Premier League clubs would be fighting harder to get it implemented.

If anyone doesn't believe that winning the Champions league requires a bit a luck, then just look at this scenario which COULD happen! Maybe, just maybe we've suffered enough CL heartbreak and the gods will smile down upon us with a draw like this.

I'll take anyone not named AC Milan.

You only need to beat the teams you face, we don't have to beat every team in Europe. If we get a favorable draw, we might only have to beat 1 great team like Barca or Madrid. And that can be done! They are not unbeatable in one game. Anything can happen in one game. Look how close we were in 2009 over 2 legs.

Saw the pictures of JT after his birthday party, looks like he had a good time! Happy happy birthday to our fearless captain! :blue scalf:

I almost stood up and cheered when I heard AVB after the Valencia game taunt the press by saying "tomorrow you will have to write about a great Chelsea win." Fucking brilliant.

Captain. Leader. Legend. JT was a force for Chelsea.

Play to our strengths! Our best defenders are not in a position to succeed playing a high line. JT played a hell of a game and showed he still is the heart and soul of this team. I'm proud to wear my #26.

I'd feel the same way if Chelsea ever signed an American. Everton is my 2nd team (if there is such a thing) because of Tim Howard and previously Landon Donovan.

I sure wish I had access to Bundesliga games. 2 games a week get streamed on ESPN here, that's it. At the urging of my German uncle, I've been following Schalke a lot lately. A lot of great young talent on that squad.

1. Our debt is only a problem because the idiots in Washington feel that protecting their political future is more important than the country's finances. A modest increase in yearly revenue and decrease in spending (not to mention ending the wars in Iraq and Afganistan) would erase our debt in less than a decade. 2. You make your claims about our moral decisions without providing any counterpoints or context. You also forgot to mention that the Allies including your own country supported the effort to build a nuclear weapon and use it. The question of how to handle dictators around the world in our present time is a massively complex one. You can disagree with attempts to appease certain dictators in hopes they treat their people fairly, because no one wants to go to war. In this so-called Arab spring, the US has had to tread carefully, but in many ways, some very subtle, has supported the people's revolution, even if it meant that the new goverment would not be a guarenteed friend of the US (see Egypt). My "moral obligations" statement wasn't to say that the US is the moral leader of the world. It was a general statement that the US is looked upon to be a leader in the fight for democracy. Has been since the first 2 world wars. Depending on your view point, we have done some terrible things. But no country is above that. You can be appalled at the use of the atom bomb, and I can say that using the atom bomb saved lives, when you consider the atrocities happening in China at the time and how many military and civilian lives would've been lost in a ground invasion of mainland Japan. 3. I'll take you on your word regarding the history of nukes and Isreal. But the question remains, why should they dismantle their nuclear program when they have a sworn enemy with nuclear capibilities within missile range?

I agree with you, (and proved it with the rep) but we are a club with the quality to do better than our last calendar year. Revised expectations are possibly in order. AVB came in here and has helped begin the next generation of Chelsea football, but he also stated that this club will strive for trophies throughout that process. If we could be ensured that AVB will be given the proper time and resources to build the next great Chelsea team, I'd feel better. But even you can't say that Roman will let this poor form go on for another whole season or two.

Wrong! I may regret typing this while the emotions of the game are still there, but I've never been so pissed off and depressed following a CC loss. Usually this tournament is to just give the kids a chance to kick the ball around and if you get dropped, big deal. Today's game represented more than that. It was a chance to build off a nice win on the weekend against Wolves. It was a chance to shut the naysayers up for a time. It was a chance to feel good about our club before we go into 2 incredibly important games. And what did we get? 1. Another embarrasing loss to the scum of the earth, THE 3RD IN A ROW AT STAMFORD BRIDGE!!! 2. A 5th loss in our last 9 games. 3. Improved chances of another trophyless season. Remember last year when we were unceremoniously dumped from the Carling Cup at home to Newcastle? Everyone shrugged it off. There's a big difference between this year and last year. We haven't started off the Premier League with a huge cushion of points. In fact, if we don't get out of this "bad moment" (as our good friend Carlo used to say) we are in deep shit. What really pisses me off is that I believe in AVB. But will he survive a diaster season where we fail to qualify for the Champions League? We are displaying gaps in quality and inspiration at all 3 levels. And at the worse possible time. On the heels of an always tough trip up north and then against Valencia, a team that if you haven't noticed is playing very well. The media will describe the next week of Chelsea football as either the one that saved our club, or the one that brought it down. I believe in Chelsea! I'm just tired of feeling like I do right now. I want to be happy and sing again, "Flying high...up in the sky!" KTBFFH

+1

Without getting to see the game (links aren't working for me), I can't get any sort of gauge on just how we look. Depending on the poster, Lukaku is either shit or our best player. Which is it?

Who was doubting Turnbull earlier?!?!

So you agree with your country's tendancies to be aligned with Russia, as opposed to other, democratic global powers?

Lukaku out wide then. I can't wait to watch this!

No way Lukaku is playing wide, right? If it is a true 4-4-2 why are we going with that formation? We've played with just one striker almost all season.

If Drogba is going to play at St. James Park, then let Torres start today and if he's not effective, you can sub in Lukaku.

When you're the strongest and richest free country in the world, you have a moral obligation to protect freedom around the world. This isn't to say that the US hasn't made some bad decisions, I'll be the first to admit that. But the issues with nukes is only a means to ensure that Isreal has an equal show of force to Iran. If Iran is going to flaunt its nuclear program while declaring their wish for Isreal to be blown off the face of the earth, then Isreal needs to show an equal military force to keep that crazy President in Tehran at bay.

When I started really following Chelsea I just went google searching for a Chelsea message board because I didn't have any friends to talk Chelsea football with and this was the first one I found. Haven't been to any other sites

Hope that's the case. His story is incredible. Hope it keeps going. Maybe we should move this thread back over the appropriate forum.

Sam wasn't in the squad today. Is this so-called comeback over?

I agree that the CC might be our best chance at silverware this year, however, with a critical away game at the weekend (to a Newcastle team that is still above us in the table!) and with a massive CL game just a few days later, I just don't think we can risk it tomorrow. I hope we make all the necessary changes to rest our most important players. If we advance to the semifinals, then we can talk about putting forth our best team.