Tortilla9

The thing about being young is the blinders of arrogance. If you achieve success early on in your professional career you tend to think you're bulletproof. Don't know how long it will last but I think AVB will come in with a sense of purpose and determination to prove he's in charge and has a plan. Either you're with him or you're not and hopefully Roman gives him a little time and freedom to prove himself. At least that's what I hope.

I'm glad these Kalou "quotes" were from the Sun which we can all discount because I'd hate to see other blogs, websites, etc take it and run with it.... too late. My favorite headline: Fernando Torres disrupted Chelsea's title push Chelsea need a serious injection of leadership unafraid to kick a little player ass (and that includes Torres if need be). Too many separate player agendas, ego and not enough focus on the ultimate prize as decided by Roman (championships, titles) which keeps getting managers fired. Is it always like this?

I think it needed to be said but I don't think publicly by players, especially Kalou. I don't think Kalou was airing this out for the team's benefit but his own personal interest. That's my opinion. I have no idea about JT's wagon circling capability but I do agree the dysfunction appears to be deep and I don't envy the next manager trying to fix that mess.

I think most agree that changes need to be made if Chelsea wants to not only continue to qualify for CL but also be competitive in CL and fight for the PL title. I personally wonder what changes Roman, Gourlay, Hiddink, whoever else, thinks need to be made. Is Gourlay being honest or giving a spin? Every team with experienced players faces the question of timing regarding moving players out. Do we get rid of an experienced player a season too soon or a season too late? Too few clubs get the timing just right. The shelf life of past glories, however recent, doesn't last forever.

Completely 100% agree with this. The question is does Roman? Time will tell. Like you I think unless changes are made next season will be Groundhog Day again. BTW, I completely support JT giving any player a swift kick in the ass and telling them to get their sh*t together. Evidentally Kalou has never heard what happens in the dressing room stays in the dressing room.

Backstabbing, gossiping, cliques sounds like high school. I feel like I'm watching "Mean Girls" with my daughter. Instead its Chelsea FC, a professional club. Chelsea can get whatever players it wants but the sh*t above is a problem. A strong willed manager who knows he's in charge and who the players know is in charge needs to happen. The inmates are running the asuylum. The way Liverpool handled Torres departure makes me hate them with a passion. BUT.... they said and meant it that no player is bigger than the club. Ferguson has given the boot (literally in Becks case) to long-standing United players without batting an eye - Becks, Keane, etc. The club has to be bigger than any player and until that happens we'll continue to read about this behavior in the media and see it on the pitch. Too many Chelsea players think they ARE the club and the badge is their personal property and their #1 focus is me, I, myself. smh

I get what you're saying about wanting a mentally tough player for the tough times. That said, fighting for your PL lives like Wigan did for weeks has to give a player some experience dealing with adversity and challenges. It may not be CL stress but I'm sure it was no picnic for Wigan players the last month of the season. I'd personally be happy to have N'Zogbia but Roman didn't ask me.

Kinda looks turtlish. It's not complete sh*t but I might have to NOT buy that one.

It's a Sneijder topic with a little Lampard/Essien/Mikel/Ramires thrown in to keep us on our toes.

That's why I asked you yesterday if those were your words or maybe you'd copied them from somewhere else. It made me go blind temporarily.

Isn't he another one whose been linked heavily to Liverpool? Then I thought I read that Wigan said they'd let him go to a CL side so that excludes Liverpool. Maybe all quiet on him is a good thing? Think he'd be a good addition to Chelsea.

Chelsea players, Terry, Lampard, Cole, regulary get picked and play for England, and they still get nothing but abuse from England non-Chelsea supporters. Their desire to play for their country has been rewarded with the consistent kick in the butt from the media. Chelsea and these players can't win.

Posted twice for some weird reason.

I'm not English so I don't share the obvious English flavor you do. Do you think Roman's #1 priority is supporting England or making Chelsea FC the best they can be? Roman being Russian he may not share the same philosophy you do about Chelsea and the English flavor. Roman or whoever is in charge may not agree the English way is what is going to get him the elusive CL trophy.

Are these your words or are you copying them from somewhere else?

Another goal would have been nice but as long as he didn't pick up an injury I'm happy. Enjoy the month off.

Fernando on for Spain 62' minute. Nothing much happening this second half.

Spain up 3-0 at half. Villa, Pedro, Alonso.

2-0 Spain, Pedro scored.

VDV has committed to playing everybody (supposedly) that he brought on the trip. Even Valdes is finally getting to play.

Everything I read says he's on 175,000 a week.

Evidentally thinking with his little head.

Is Chelsea going after any of them is the question that only Roman knows and he's not telling. I'd be happy with any of them tbh.

I hate Liverpool! Liverpool's mistakes w/Torres "If he (Suarez) then believes it's all about him then I believe we could have a situation we saw with Torres. When you empower players too much to believe its all about them as I believe happened to Fernando Torres you could see what happened to him his last year (at Anfield)". - John Barnes I am so sick of their revisionist bullsh*t. When Fernando was scoring goals faster than any other Liverpool player they were happy it was all about him. Whenever Fernando was hurt the owners couldn't pressure Rafa enough to get him back out on the pitch even if he wasn't fit and they wonder why over time injuries caught up to him. Fernando was a money machine for Liverpool via shirts and other LFC merchandise. When the owners didn't get a backup striker (and not N'gog) they continued to rely on Fernando and Gerrard to carry the offensive load, healthy or not. Fernando told them repeatedly they needed to get better and they needed to be more competitive. Fernando and Reina were one of the few players to publicly speak and say H&G needed to go. Fernando wanted to leave last summer but agreed to stay to help facilitate the sale because even dumbass H&G knew he was valuable to the bottom line. Yet the stupid ass Liverpool kool-aid drinking morons will continue to spin their hate in the Liverpool loving media and tell a headline reading public that Torres did nothing for them and was an ungrateful selfish bastard. I'm a little hostile today. My daughter was diagnosed with her second torn ACL and reading stupid crap like this just pisses me off even more.

Sneijder - great player with astronomical wages. Wouldn't his wages also bump up Terry's and Frank's? Modric - wonderful playmaker, a goal or two would be nice (doesn't need to be 20). Nasri - the more I think about this one the more I like it. Won't cost an arm or leg like Sneijder. Only 23 (soon to be 24). I'd go for Sneijder, Nasri, then Modric. Aren't all three linked with United as first options?