Madmax

Right let's do this for Ossie! :cfc:

R.I.P Ossie .... Never forgotten

Simple. Because we're shit right now and they're top of the food chain. If we do get them, I'd rate our chances at 20 : 80.

How is Riccy not there? He was the best defender at the club while he was here. And Robben isn't good enough.

Isn't there a section for this already on member profiles?

Why do we need so many threads about this?

Hey hey hey - don't forget the almighty Emirates Cup!

There's only one Chelsea captain. JT26.

Voting over yet? What do we get for now officially being the best Chels forum on the net? Gourlay banners and Buck wallpapers?

Welcome mate! Milan.Cech is the resident Czech corespondent, he'll show you the ropes Please don't apologise for your English, it is very good indeed

Yep mate, just off Torres but not directly in behind ---------------------Torres------------------------ ---------------------------Anelka----------------- Flo-------Lampard--------------Ramires---- ---------------------Essien/Mikel------------- Cole-------Terry-------Luiz--------Ivanovic ------------------Cech--------------------------- Notice how Drogba hasn't delivered in a single game since Torres has arrived? (Sunderland, Liverpool, Fulham). Torres' arrival should have spurred him on (a la Sheva in 06) but so far it has bogged him down instead. It's up to him to shut me up now * *And I don't mean one game, I mean a series of games. Because right now, Kalou > Drogba, and that is the ultimate insult at CFC, like some guys here would have you believe

HABA HABA

Carlo shouldn't be bending over backwards for anybody. Drogba hasn't been good enough and if his ego can't accept that and he wants to sulk, there's no better place for it than on the bench.

Welcome fella

Don't have a preference between the right or the left. If there's a third, it's even better! P.S. Oops, I misread it as 'nipple' in the title. P.P.S. I'm a teetotaler

No.

Food for thought - Maybe Anelka had more motivation today, considering he's a Muslim and scoring against the capital club of the country which published those infamous Prophet cartoons (Denmark ofcourse), would have given extra pleasure.

Can't even begin to imagine what you must be going through ... I'm sorry this happened to you but it is so beautiful to see that you have the strength to get through this. I pray for your health ... get well soon mate and keep the faith.

Yes to both. He's a legend but it's over now.

Have we ever seen a more hot-n-cold player at the Bridge? A good sort, I liked him though his inconsistency was quite frustrating. Hope he receives a great ovation in the return leg :cfc:

lol desperate trolling by the man from justanotha.com - maybe traffic is too slow there? Anyway, didn't know I had started 99 topics!

Having thought about it for a while, I reckon the problem with our squad this season lies in it's balance. Balance in AGE People have been saying this for a couple of years and it has proved to be a false alarm before but this season I think we have genuinely become 'too old' as they like to put it. 7 first team starters (before Torres and Luiz arrivals) are 30 or above and it's beginning to show. Excluding the academy guys, only Mikel, Ramires, Kalou and Sturridge are in their early or mid twenties. Drogba is a late bloomer but that doesn't take away the fact that he has to face defenders that are younger, quicker, more agile than him. Malouda and Lampard have lost a step. Terry's game was never based on speed. Even Cole isn't the same marauding full back of last season. Age has definitely become an issue. Balance in NUMBERS The smallest first team squad in the league (alongside Wigan). Just 18 outfield players (incl Torres n Luiz). A distinct lack of bench strength. We have over the years become well known for our strength in depth but the summer departures combined with a lack of replacements and a lack of game time for the much hyped youth has exposed the already ageing first team regulars. No capable substitutes on the bench mean even more work for the 30 somethings and thus more tiredness and drop in performance and hence, confidence. Vicious cycle. Balance in ATTRIBUTES This is a key aspect for me. At the back, Ivanovic, Alex and Terry are much too similar in their approach to the game and the qualities they bring to the side. Ivan and Terry in particular. None of the 3 is especially quick. Luiz's entry should solve this for the time being but the damage has already been done. While still boasting one of the best defensive records in the league, the lack of pace at the back has been exposed way too often and it has been down to Cech who's managed to keep us safe in a majority of the games. Midfield is the area where this problem has been the most destructive though. Ramires, Mikel and Essien are like clones and the twin injuries to Benayoun and Lampard has magnified the malaise. It's an effective, energetic midfield but lacks the creativity and vision to unlock tight defences. Upfront, Drogba and Torres are much the same. No wonder it's difficult to play the two of them together unless one changes his game. Balance in POSITIONS No outright wingers for a team that ostensibly looks to play 4-3-3. No attacking midfielder. No decent backup goalkeeper. A defensively sound yet threatening-when-forward rightback. The lack of balance according to our system is all too evident.

I just think that the UK media has really impacted upon our season. Call me delusional if you will but that's what I reckon. After Wilkins' sacking, we copped a huge amount of bad press. Admittedly it's the board's fault for giving the media an opportunity to have a pop when everything was going well on the field. But they were given a chance, and they lapped it up. Reading and hearing about the saga every day for the next fortnight or so would have definitely affected the players and team management in some manner. I maintain his exit has nothing to do with the downward spiral - we were playing poorly much before he left (though still getting results) - but a psychological impact would have been a certainty. Then again as soon as the results started to flounder, the crisis talk picked up speed. All it takes is one hack to term it a crisis and everyone else picks it up and recycles it, over and over and over, magnifying the situation. The boss and the players get asked questions about it and though they make all the right noises, I assume in the back of their heads, doubts would start to creep in. The third front came in the transfer window - first with the clamour of names, then the last day frenzy and after that - the widespread criticism of the performances against Liverpool and Fulham. The £50 million tag is bandied about at every conceivable opportunity and it's sure to have an effect. Thoughts?