coolhead23

People have started reacting as if he is truely going to go over to the red side of Manchester. I m surprised on the ifs and buts, this is something not going to happen in your dreams as well. So stop crying! Lampard is finding things tough right now but he is among those few left who values the club he plays for. Even if he had to move out, it would never be for any premier league team for sure. We should read it and have a good laugh about it.

To be honest, it is matter of luck. We could have given the mantle to the assistance but we didnt just a matter of luck. There are so many assistant coaches out there who are really really good but still havent got a chance/luck to be the gaffer and then there are the lucky ones who had that opportunity. I do think Steve Clark had been exceptionally for Chelsea and i would have loved to have him back. But as far as his career progress goes he is still an assistant coach despite leaving Chelsea. And we as a club specially in the Roman's era are run by the men in the black coats sitting in the high-rise office who dont understand the ground reality and thats one reason why Steve never got the chance which he would have got in any mid level club in this scenario.

Oh Yaa! RVP to Chelsea! Not even in our dreams. He is so close to have his statue built at the Emirates, u think he want to have it destroyed even before they start building it. This is the best example of why we all are spoiled under the Roman era, An 29 yr old injury prone player has one amazing season and we would want to splash absurd amount of money to get him over.

Is it just me or did everyone notice the way we are playing, i dont remember we being so bad in our game play even when we were down. At times, we looked like school boys playing the game. When u look at this team it just doesnt gives u the confidence that they will keep a clean sheet / have domination on the other team (atleast on the weaker ones). We are so lucky that we won and all thanks to Cech for making that blinder save at the very end. If this is what we are going to showcase then it is trouble times ahead.

It is a very simple thing, mate. No one is bigger than the club there is no 2 ways about it but when someone is genuinely putting in the effort and still is overlooked for no logically reason whatsoever, wouldnt u critic that? Thats what i m doing. I praise my team, players in the blue jersey and the club when they do something good but then i would also critics them if they do something wrong. In this case i really think Torres has been wrongly treated so i m critical about it. And lets look at the bigger picture, if Torres would have carried on the good form which he started before being red carded all of us would had been signing praises abt him and importantly the team would have benefited from it. P.S: I have never been a Torres fan.

Every individual makes a team and a team makes a club, u don't get a set of player in the market to make a team. So if an individual is performing or not he would always be talked/cared/loved/hated about, I hope people understands that logic. Secondly and more importantly the man in discussion here is a player for whom we have broken all the transfer records at least in the premier league to render his services. And in all honesty we are not using that asset in the right way, so as a CHELSEA FAN it hurt not only for the club and team but also for the player. So just because someone is thinking about an individual within the team doesnt makes him less of a fan than anyone else. If that was the case why have discussion boards for individual player within the forum, does that mean we are not fans of the Blues.

I really hope that Torres puts in his transfer request and goes to play for some other club where he is valued more. Torres is an instinctive player who needs confidence and motivation to create those magic moments which he is getting none under AVB so far. What i liked abt him is that he is putting his 100% into whatever is asked of him which is clearly seen from him changing from a clinical finisher to a Tevez like player.

Ok we lost and we lost badly. Maybe we didnt end the year on a high, i hope that we start the year on a high and leave behind a bad 2011. Happy New Year to all of you, forget the past and welcome the future. Have a blast!

Torres again on the bench. damn!!! Come on, AVB give the lad a chance to built his confidence. Please dont leave it for late.

Lets not jump the gun! I read some where that AVB would make only one more buy after Cahill (not able to find the article though). How many times are we going to fall back on Roman's money to bail us out, it's time we start being self sufficient now.

This entire season was suppose to get the squad rebuilt by getting in new blood either from outside or within the academy. But it now looks as if we are falling for the same old thing of getting not so young players/big name and try to save the season. I really like Kaka but i seriously dont think it a move which is going to take us forward.

I m sure this entire chaos has been orchestrated by his agent specially since he has got the much needed game time which he never would have got at Barca. I think Chelsea should play really smart with this. Hopefully with Essien back, the game time for Romeu would/should be restricted to few games and the limelight shared between him and Essien (i m hoping for that). Essien could have another year possibly which gives us enough time to play around with Romeu and with him only 20 his progress wouldnt be hampered much. I know there are lot of ifs and hopes here but thats one of the solution else look like a fool in 2013 by giving him to Barca.

All the best, King Carlo. I hope u get better treatment from the board out there.

i m seriously concerned with the way things are shaping up with Torres not sure what AVB wants but his gameplay is screaming for motivation and confidence. His touches yesterday was just horrible, i didnt understand what was AVB going to achieve by putting in Torres (who doesnt have game time and isnt in the good books of the gaffer) for the last 15mins. If this how Torres is going to be treated then i dont think we would be able to see the magical striker in his high in the Blue jersey.

Thats precisely what hit me when i read the article

Found an interesting read on Daniel Petrescu, so thought of sharing it with all. URL: http://www.espnstar....rvant-and-hero/: Petrescu: A loyal servant and hero It's not often you use the words 'servant' and 'hero' to describe the same person, for they both project vastly differing images. A servant is prepared to remain in the background, performing thankless tasks and mopping up the messes others create, perfectly happy to stay in the shadows. A hero, on the other hand relishes the limelight - internalising all the adulation to go on to bigger and better feats. It's rare then, to find someone who can lay claim to being both a servant and a hero. But for the eighteen years he played professional football, Dan Petrescu was just that. Born into a golden era Steaua Bucharest are the most successful club in Romanian history. They have 23 Liga I titles to their name, as well as 22 Cupa Romaniei (Romanian Cup), both national records. In addition, they remain the only Romanian team ever to have won the European Cup, and were the first-ever Eastern European team to emerge triumphant in Europe's premier club competition (a feat matched by Red Star Belgrade in 1991). Therefore, Steaua's 1986 European Cup triumph provides the perfect setting to begin, as slightly over a month after that monumental win, a 20-year-old defender by the name of Dan Petrescu was promoted to the first team, having graduated through the youth ranks. He managed just two matches in his debut season, and was farmed out to fellow Liga 1 side Olt Scornicesti for the entire 1986/87 campaign. However, his remarkable progress while on loan did not go unnoticed, and just two years later, Petrescu had established himself as a key member of the Steaua first team, and lined up against a mighty AC Milan outfit featuring the likes of Franco Baresi, Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit, and a 21-year-old Paolo Maldini in the 1989 European Cup final, While Milan ran out 4-0 winners at the Nou Camp that night, Petrescu enhanced his reputation with a strong showing. At the start of the 1991/92 season, Serie A side Foggia came knocking and Petrescu gave in to their advances, spending two years Stadio Pino Zaccheria, before prolonging his Italian sojourn with another year at Genoa. The right-back conundrum Petrescu left Genoa for English shores in the summer of 1994, but while Sheffield Wednesday brought him to the country, it was at Chelsea, whom he joined a season later, where he truly made a name for himself as one of the most reliable full-backs across the continent. Reliable. Strangely enough, that's the one word most often associated with full-backs, or right-backs in particular. Before we go any further, let us just ascertain how unfashionable it truly is to be playing on the right-side of defence. Strikers are 'lethal', wingers are 'languid' and 'cunning', midfielders are "a creative force", centre-backs are called "a rock at the back", even left-backs are often described as 'classy'. But for some curious reason, right-backs are, by and large, known to be 'reliable' players. This stigma seems to stems from the school yard, where anyone who has had a kickabout with their mates, will agree the least talented players are always sent straight to right-back. Understandably, the more talented kids invariably end up playing in midfield or attack, while the steadiest, most composed ones slot straight in at centre-back. Furthermore, the relative rarity of left-footed players means anyone capable of playing at left-back will naturally be held in higher regard. Right-backs consequently, are lumped with that most mundane of adjectives - 'reliable'. Oddly enough, professional footballers, at least in England, don't seem particular eager to buck this trend. Gary Neville had little to draw upon apart from a bit of elbow grease, yet went on to captain Manchester United, clocking up over 600 appearances in the process. Lee Dixon was the most forgettable member of Arsenal's famous "Fab Four", yet has four Premier League and two FA Cup titles to his name. Lest we forget, even Jamie Carragher started out his career at right-back, and till this day, he is steady but unspectacular. Stamford Bridge's very own At Chelsea, Petrescu was just that, although he was blessed with good pace, technique, and the ability to whip in a mean cross, and was more Cafu than Carragher. But the Romanian played for Chelsea in an era when they were respected for their ability to go toe-to-toe with the country's finest despite a shoestring budget. Long before Roman Abramovich's billions led them to their first Premier League title since 1955, the Blues had a slightly less-wealthy chairman in Ken Bates, who was more intent on making money off the pitch, than create a dominant team on it. Bates started developing the area around Stamford Bridge, envisioning a complex which included hotels, apartments, bars, restaurants and various interactive attractions, known as "Chelsea Village". By the time he relinquished chairmanship to Abramovich in 2003, the club were about £80million in debt. On the field, there were plenty of success stories, with Gianfranco Zola, Gianluca Vialli and Marcel Desailly all having memorable stints at the club. However, all three were in their 30s by the time they joined Chelsea, and, with the exception of Zola, one could argue the club never got to enjoy these players in their prime. Even more remarkable is that fact that Chelsea, despite having to scour for bargains and settle for players winding down their careers, still managed to win two FA Cups, one League Cup, the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, and the UEFA Super Cup from the mid-1990s right up to the Abramovich takeover. Petrescu took his part in four of those five triumphs, and made over 150 appearances in his five-year spell at Stamford Bridge. Romania's golden boys of 1994 But while he was regarded as a dutiful servant at Chelsea, Petrescu was nothing short of a hero whenever he pulled on the gold of Romania. Five years after earning his first cap, Petrescu was part of the Romanian squad that made the quarter-finals of USA 1994. It remains the country's best showing at a World Cup to date. Romania were drawn in Group A alongside hosts United States, Switzerland and Colombia, and qualification was far from certain after a win and a loss in their opening two matches. However, in their final game against the hosts, Petrescu ventured forward to score the only goal of the game, booking a round-of-16 clash with Argentina. Coming up against an Argentina side boasting the likes of Diego Maradona, Gabriel Batistuta and Fernando Redondo, many expected the Romanians to make a hasty exit. Yet, they somehow managed to record a stunning 3-2 victory, progressing to the quarter-finals where they narrowly lost to Sweden on penalties, Petrescu being one of two Romanians to miss in the shootout. Romania failed to repeat their exploits four years late in France, although they still created one of the memorable images of the World Cup when the whole squad dyed their hair blonde took to the field against Tunisia with their hair dyed blond. It was to celebrate qualification into the next round. A reminder of Chelsea's beginnings The Chelsea of today are almost unrecognisable from the side which Petrescu played in. Billions of dollars have been invested on the pitch, and as expected, silverware has followed. Since Petrescu left Stamford Bridge, the Blues have won three Premier League titles, three FA Cups and the Carling Cup twice. But long before Abramovich's billions brought trophies to Stamford Bridge (leading to disgruntled opposition fans claiming he effectively bought the title), Chelsea were a club with very humble beginnings. In fact, Bates only had to fork out a single pound when he bought the club in 1982. Humility is something hardly associated with footballers these days and fans could be forgiven for thinking players are motivated by money, and not much else. And that's why it's important to honour those like Petrescu, who played the role of servant so well. His story is a constant reminder that there are some things in football money cannot buy. Like bringing success to a club in an era where it's hard to come by. Or bringing glory to one's nation.

After this game and all that has been written and said in the media about how great Neymar is. Yes the boy has talent no denying that but still he is no where near some of the decent players in Europe atleast ... Does anyone think there would be lot of takers for Neymer at 45M now? Barca has a set team so does Madrid (i mean they dont have to think much for the next few seasons), in the EPL there is only Chelsea who was behind him, dont think United would go for him, City mite, Arsenal dont have the cents in the pockets. The only other place left is Italy maybe AC Milan who wouldnt shed out 45m for him. Just wondering how would the club president now want to bargain on 45m for his prized asset.

I would agree on this rather than what RZA mentioned. Yes they parked the bus and put us in a spot (which is something most of the small team do agaisnt the big guns). But how did they end up having more shots on goals than us. because in a scenario where one team is having most of the players defending the ratio of shot on goals by the attacking team should be more as to the defending one. It was not the case this time, so either Wigan developed super powers since their last match to defend and attack superbly or we were just not upto the task.

Sacking AVB is not the way out, would be taking us as a club behind rather than going forward. And no one can guarantee the person who comes next would do wonders. Having said that, the confidence in AVB is surely coming down from where it was when he started. Some of his decisions have been really baffling at times. Yes he has got a team not exactly of his liking but at the end of the day how u stand out from the others are the decision that u make in the line of fire. And that is what has been a worrying factor for me. I just hope AVB doesn't have a big ego and learns the tricks of the trade real fast which could not only help us as a club to have a long term relation with him but also for him as a manager to grow.

Wigan had more shots on goal than us. WTF!!!!! I guess that sums our game tonight.

Finally can say Well played Chelsea. Great performances by the entire team. Thx AVB for dropping the high defense line and moving back to the traditional one, we muscled them out. Drogba was at his best, great game from him. But have to keep mention Mata here, he has been one of our better investments in the recent years. I wish and hope that we carry on this momentum. A job well done! Was just thinking we took right under the nose of Arsenal, they must have been cursing themselves

Pass Danny boy Pass!!!!

Its 3am here already and the loss is gonna give me nightmares for the rest of the nite which if i get to sleep

AVB would keep me baffling on the squad selection. Good that he has kept Mikel out (hope he stays out) but why not Torres. Still Drogba get a start.

:( :zip: :cfc: :cfc: Lets cool down!