Elliott

I didn't really read this thread before... How the fuck did they connect steel to football indeed!? Crazy.

Grant has had his chance. We have the capability and resources to attract a top manager and that is exactly what we should be doing.

Well he grabbed a hatrick against a side that knocked out several Premier League opposition, so he can't be too shabby.

Huddersfield... and before that, Spurs, if I'm not mistaken. We CAN do it, but it seems like a tough ask at the moment.

I don't think he's done well enough recently to justify a place in the first time. Next season he can properly fight for his place, but this season he hasn't had enough of an impact, although if he did in the Huddersfield game I missed it, however that's only Huddersfield. This isn't a silly move at all, this is about giving Scott some more valuable first team experience. He's not good enough yet.

Hahahah classic photos.

You have made a good point warnie there about the returning players unsettling the team. I do feel Terry had to come in though because he is club captain and should always be playing in a cup final if he can. Lampard though? Would have been understandable if Ballack played. The main problem for me was a) long balls against Woodgate and King Playing Anelka on the left wing instead of Joe Cole or even Kalou and c) complete ineptitude with regard to motivation

I am already repeating myself, but before anyone does go the way of "I told you so", remember that I gave Grant a chance in my eyes only because it was obvious he wasn't going anywhere anyway. I was as unhappy with his appointment as anyone else on here. Time for him to go for sure, but we're not gonna get a decent replacement until the summer. Sack him now, install Clarke or Ten Cate as caretaker manager and make a proper appointment when a manager becomes available or the summer.

Welcome to Talk Chelsea Bealsey

Hehe, yeah, watch out world. This. Entirely this.

I think you might be right Esk, what scares me is Grant might argue that he needs these new players to be successful and then Roman will give him another year.

Fair play to Spurs, they were the better team and deserved to win. They wanted it more, and so their players just acquitted themselves better. And then there's Grant's questionable tactics. Play direct football against King and Woodgate? Good one, genius. We basically lost this I feel because we felt the need to accomodate Anelka to the side. Joe Cole should have played instead, then the formation would have much more balanced and worked much better. I place this defeat completely on Grant's shoulders. He didn't get the team playing well, due to a lack of tactical nous and probably a lack of inspiration. For weeks before hand he was talking down the importance of this competition and this no doubt got into the heads of the players and as a result they just didn't look as up for it as Spurs. When things WERE going tits up, when Berbatov equalised with that penalty, he didn't react quickly enough or in the right manner. Joe Cole or Kalou? Easy choice and he got it wrong. I was willing to give Grant a chance when he was appointed. I was livid at the way he was appointed, but it appeared as if he was here to stay so I decided to give him a chance. His first test, against Manchester United he failed, but I put that down to awful refereeing decisions and let it pass. He then started to produce some good results - 2-1 away at the Mestalla and the 6-0 drubbing of Man City stand out. But we always had our doubts about him in the big games, and when it came to the Arsenal game, you could see he was out of his depth. He used Shevchenko as the head of a 4-5-1, and threw long balls at him - NEVER going to work! I know we didn't have many options then, but we did have Pizarro available and I feel he could have done a decent job linking up with Sheva and we might have gotten something out of the game. Very few of the results we've achieved were anything more than expected. We were expected to thrash Rosenborg, we were expected to beat Leicester, Huddersfield etc, we were expected to just oust Everton. We are missing however something special, something we had before in Mourinho, and whilst I accept that it might have been untenable for Jose to stay, we really could and should have searched for a top quality manager instead of settling to the suck-up. No doubt Roman had Grant in his long term plans and now Roman, it is being thrown up in your face. Time to wake up and realise you got it wrong. We won't win the Champions League or the Premiership. Our only realistic hope is the FA Cup, but if we draw Manchester United at any stage, I fear we'll fall.

His dad must be so ashamed of his son

More fake spiel

Tut tut, if you can't make the deadline, you can't enter Blue Lion. Don't ruin your integrity.

Looks like an absolutely disgraceful tackle there.

Some more piccies, warning, nasty Pic one Pic two

Well I think Essien will be playing alongside Lampard in midfield with Ballack fronting the formation, the same diamond formation Jose tried last season. Best way of picking our best players, but is it the best system? Time will tell. Obviously we're gonna have to pass our way into the goal. By the way, what's the source? Might have to adapt to that in the lineup competition

Sunday, 24 February 2008 Blackburn 1 v 1 Bolton, 15:00 Reading 2 v 1 Aston Villa, 12:30 Monday, 25 February 2008 Man City 2 v 2 Everton, 20:00

Saturday, 23 February 2008 Birmingham 0 v 3 Arsenal, 12:45 Fulham 1 v 0 West Ham, 15:00 Liverpool 3 v 1 Middlesbrough, 15:00 Newcastle 1 v 4 Man Utd, 17:15 Portsmouth 0 v 0 Sunderland, 15:00 Wigan 1 v 1 Derby, 15:00

I've rewritten the guidelines for this forum, please all read! Thanks.

I would suggest it is an agent problem. He is being told he can get more by holding out, probably pretty forcefully, because of course that gives the agent more money. The whole agent system is seriously flawed and needs fixing. Agents should be paid by the players not the clubs as a first, and as a second, it shouldn't be a percentage of players wage or signing bonus or whatever it is, but a standard fee that the player pays. Better agents command better wages, not necessarily greedier agents (although that will still often be the case).

His stats do indeed look excellent there.

Sounds very flimsy. Are they trying to tell me they asked all 1 billion people in China who they supported? Must have used modelling, and I wonder if that can have any sort of accuracy. Doesn't really matter, just seemed odd!

90 million core fans? Huh? I suppose that means how many people have bought a Chelsea replica shirt or something Still, looking healthy I guess and good that are looking to continue youth development over large transfer fees.