The Players

[capriccioso 2,545]

Here they go again, virtually managing the club:

Texting"]http://www.telegraph...e-Mourinho.html

Texting Mourinho, effectively undermining AVB

[Peace. 4,352]

The players are said to be against André because they don't appreciate his tactics and/or methods. It is just an excuse for them to get him sacked. Indeed, if you look at the players who are pretty much likely to be part of the group wanting André out, they are either about to be pushed out of the club by André (Kalou, Malouda) or are fringe players in André's project (Lampard). They just react this way because they fear about losing their own comfort.

[Fulham Broadway 16,849]

Cech, grow your bollocks back or go. We need a keeper that will go into challenges fearless and not someone that goes in half hearted. It's understandable but not what we need to win titles or at very least games.

Cole, ffor fucks sake stop throwing your arms in the air and abusing the ref every poxy minute. Concentrate on your own game and stop being caught out of position on the wrong side of players. FOCUS

JT, kick their arses and start being the captain you were years ago.

Bosingwa, please make the 5 yard passes reach the target and stop doing impressions of Kalou's brain during games. THINK ABOUT IT.

Lampard, I think you try but it's just not happening is it. Go sit on the bench and when the opposition tires we'll call you on. The feet look slower than the brain now you Chelsea legend .

Meireles, like Bosingwa, please concentrate on making those easy passes and STOP doing pointless fouls.

Ivanovic, need to pull your socks up Branna. What happened to your commitment in the opponents box? How many more needless fouls will you give away? 20% down on personal best, UP IT.

Drogba, stop treating league games like friendlies. We need you every game not just the CL games. We only need the strong Drogba not the fucking big baby Drogba.

Torres, ok so your team mates aren't delivering it on a plate for you, diddums. So how about getting into dangerous positions and sniffing out a tap in? Or failing that create one for yourself and when you have done that fucking PULL THE TRIGGER. Stop trying to be a midfielder and poach in the box.

Sturridge, PASS THE FCUKING THING SOMETIMES. It's not all about Daniel Sturridge, so when you're subbed do as you're told and have some respect for the manager.

Malouda, Just fuck off with your attitude towards work rate. You cried like a baby when Joe Cole kept you out and now you look like you just go through the motions for 90 minutes just to pick up a big fat pay cheque.

[capriccioso 2,545]

Look at this. 5 months to go in his Chelsea career, and he's still more bothered than the manager to provide a team talk. It also shows that he is the top dog at Chelsea, and the arm band around Terry's shoulder is nothing more than a scrap of cloth:

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/football/view/236241/Didier-Drogba-delivers-Chelsea-team-talk-in-tunnel/?

[OneMoSalah 8,778]

I think the players efforts the last few weeks have been awful but yet they still have all this power over Andre. It is strange because I'm sure Scolari tried getting rid of Drogba, Ballack, Cech and Malouda a few years ago, which would have shifted the power balance for sure but it ultimately cost him his job (according to himself) and it will defiantly cost Andre his job if the players keep refusing to back his tactics and putting in shabby performances like the one yesterday against Birmingham.

[francozola 2,040]

Look at this. 5 months to go in his Chelsea career, and he's still more bothered than the manager to provide a team talk. It also shows that he is the top dog at Chelsea, and the arm band around Terry's shoulder is nothing more than a scrap of cloth: http://www.dailystar.co.uk/football/view/236241/Didier-Drogba-delivers-Chelsea-team-talk-in-tunnel/?

lol

[francozola 2,040]

By the way, our board really needs to start putting performance bonuses in the players' contracts. Have a base salary of maybe 50-70% of what they earn atm and the rest should all be performance related.

The likes of Lampard and Cole who are both probably on 150k atm (?) need to get these bonuses inserted into their contracts for next season (assuming they both improve their attitudes and support the manager, or else they can fuck off). Put both on around 50-60k a week base salary and the remainder will be based on how many appearances they make, assists, goals, clean-sheets, etc etc. Of course, this probably won't be possible as they already have existing contracts and will see no reason to accept the new one.

Basically for players that we sign from now on, the board really has to think about doing this. I'm sure there already are such clauses in some of our players' contracts but they're not severe enough and with our board, those bonuses are probably on top of their already ridiculous 100-150k a week salaries.

You think most of the current players actually give a shit about the results when they're taking home half a million pounds a month? Performances would improve when the players know that they're not going to earn their full paycheck until they do everything they can to get wins.

[Madmax 9,219]

Disillusioned with this bunch.

[Badboy 1,526]

@FrancoZola I don't think that system would be possible though because players like Hazard would rather go to a club that is willing to pay him full whack when he gets bullied off the pitch against sides like Stoke. Players would lose too much money when they lose form too which is natural, the whole league would have to do it to make it viable. I thought about it for a while and i really liked the idea but i have seen too many holes in it now.

[nono 791]

It is a great wonder how the club managed to accumulate so many mediocre players, especially in the midfield. Lukaku was signed and hasn't played at all, and we could have just saved the money spent on him and Meireles and bought a very good midfielder. We signed Cahill in January, and he isn't playing either, even though Terry is out. There is a very disjointed way the club is being managed where the manager does not decide on the transfers, as being seen over the years when many players are bought and are not given a chance at all. The money spent on Torres, Meireles and Lukaku could have been used to completely revamp the midfield. Now we have Mikel, Lampard, Essien, Meireles, Ramires, Kalou. Apart from maybe Essien in his prime, would any of these players manage to get into either Real Madrid or Barcelona's midfield? They have absolutely no creativity and playing more than one of them in a game means that we have a tough time breaking down even championship teams.

Mikel - his greatest skill is his ability to locate the defender behind him and pass the ball to him 90% of the time. Remember the day when we signed him and how everyone was so happy we'd snatched a major talent from Manchester United? What a joke. Not only is he terrible, he shows absolutely no sign of improving at all. The real question then is, why has he not been rid of if he has been poor for so long.

Meireles - At least MIkel, no matter how fucking dull he is, does not misplace his passes too often. With Meireles, it seems as if he is deliberately passing the ball to the opposition. Also, as I read somewhere else he seems as if he should be occupying wall street rather than our midfield. A lot of us (myself included) were really happy when he was signed in the summer. His dismal failure really proves that stop gap measures will no longer do. We really must go all out to clean the crap from the club. And for anyone feeling sorry for him, or any other player on the team, don't. He is paid more in one week than I'd guess 99% people on this board make in a year. In any other profession, an employee who makes this much money is under considerable pressure to perform well. Take the much bedeviled banking profession for instance. Meireles' performance right now is akin to an investment banker who keeps on screwing up major merger deals every month. The only difference is that the banker would very soon find his ass on the chopping block. Who at the club will do this to players like Meireles, Lampard and Mikel? Essien can maybe be forgiven a bit since he is coming off an injury, and while Ramires hasn't been amazing, he has at least provided some use to the team. Every time Lampard is criticized on this forum we have posters coming up and saying that he is a "legend" etc and they are "plastic" supporters. He is just not good enough for us anymore. Think of having a cat and then being told by the vet that it has rabies. What would you do? No matter how much you love the cat, you'll have to put and end to him. This is what we need to do to Lampard, Mikel and Meireles. Suppose hypothetically that the club were relegated and we can only pay the players a tenth of their salary? Would any sensible person blame them for leaving? So why is the club blamed for letting poor players go? Loyalty is not a one way street.

Villas Boas - The main reason our manager is in such shit right now is that he is a man of empty words. I'd bet he himself doesn't understand half the shit he says. Week in week out we've been hearing him tell us how he's angry with the squad, and how he doesn't need the support of the players, and yada yada yada. He doesn't however make any serious changes to the squad. I'd bet my left nut that nothing is going to change for the Napoli game. Because he never acts on his words, no one takes him seriously. If you don't like any of the players, AXE THEM FROM THE FUCKING SQUAD. There is no need to cry excuses to the press after every single match. Actions speak much louder than words. He has now had more than half a year and still can not from our very limited squad find either his best team or his favored formation. This is like a girl stranded on an island with two broken dildos for six months and after experimenting with them every day not being able to see which one she likes more. How much longer is it going to take for him?

What is most depressing about all of this is that these are all not things that have just suddenly happened to the club. This is like the 20 year recession Japan has been in. We have been sinking into decline over the past three years and just don't seem to be able to steer the ship around. What is really needed is great leadership, either on the pitch, in the management, or in the board, and it is simply nowhere to be found. Apologies for this long rant. I am just more and more depressed after every game.

[BleedsBlue 1,549]

Mikel - his greatest skill is his ability to locate the defender behind him and pass the ball to him 90% of the time. Remember the day when we signed him and how everyone was so happy we'd snatched a major talent from Manchester United? What a joke. Not only is he terrible, he shows absolutely no sign of improving at all. The real question then is, why has he not been rid of if he has been poor for so long.

I think the only reason why we got Mikel was to just piss Manu off.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

By the way, our board really needs to start putting performance bonuses in the players' contracts. Have a base salary of maybe 50-70% of what they earn atm and the rest should all be performance related.

The likes of Lampard and Cole who are both probably on 150k atm (?) need to get these bonuses inserted into their contracts for next season (assuming they both improve their attitudes and support the manager, or else they can fuck off). Put both on around 50-60k a week base salary and the remainder will be based on how many appearances they make, assists, goals, clean-sheets, etc etc. Of course, this probably won't be possible as they already have existing contracts and will see no reason to accept the new one.

Basically for players that we sign from now on, the board really has to think about doing this. I'm sure there already are such clauses in some of our players' contracts but they're not severe enough and with our board, those bonuses are probably on top of their already ridiculous 100-150k a week salaries.

You think most of the current players actually give a shit about the results when they're taking home half a million pounds a month? Performances would improve when the players know that they're not going to earn their full paycheck until they do everything they can to get wins.

I agree in the idea, but on a practical level I doubt it would work. As Badboy says, it would deter players from coming.

What needs to be set is a precedent. Fine the players a week's wages and they'll soon get their shit together. AVB is too soft on them.

[francozola 2,040]

@FrancoZola I don't think that system would be possible though because players like Hazard would rather go to a club that is willing to pay him full whack when he gets bullied off the pitch against sides like Stoke. Players would lose too much money when they lose form too which is natural, the whole league would have to do it to make it viable. I thought about it for a while and i really liked the idea but i have seen too many holes in it now.

I agree in the idea, but on a practical level I doubt it would work. As Badboy says, it would deter players from coming.

What needs to be set is a precedent. Fine the players a week's wages and they'll soon get their shit together. AVB is too soft on them.

Yeah I guess you're right, but certainly for our older players, this has to be implemented. If Frank can sort his attitude out and accept a lesser role - same with Cole & JT (he's okay for now but let's see how he does next season) - then do we still want to be paying these three guys 150k a week? We can get hungrier and better players to play in their position and save at least half of those wages.

They've lost their hunger and it's ridiculous to be paying them those wages when their performances don't even warrant 10k-a-week wages

[Santiago. 1,500]

Peace

[amaraal 6]

This team need to ged rid following players for good before it could ever think about challengeing Champion League again. They can never succeed in Chelsea anymore, so it is time to stop self cheating and continue to carry their salary burden for nothing.

Cole, Essien, Lampard, Torres, Drogba, Mikel, Malouda, Bosingwa, Ferreira, Kalou, Hilario

Following players should be phased out gradually for lacking of talent, quality or problematic attitude. We may have to retain some of them, but certainly not all, and certainly could only as second lined troopers.

Meireles, Cahill, Sturridge, Turnbull

I know people would disagree certain names, for example Cahill or Sturridge. But just think that: Cahill is no better than Real Madrid's worst CB, Albiol. And Sturridge is worse than Callejon, and there are at least 4 attackers in that team who is significantly better than him ( Benzema, Higuain, Di Maria and Ronaldo), and how could we beat RM when their no.5 best attackers is better than our no.1 or no.2? Just ask yourself: Can we hope to employ a manager tactically better than JM? If not, how could we use those players A LOT worse than Real Madrid's to compete with them when they also haver better or at least equally good manager?

[Kez 2,727]

Any player that doesn't want to play for AVB should GET THE FUCK OUT of my club, I don't care who they are or what they have achieved here. No player is bigger than the club & quite frankly they are a disgrace.

[Henrique 9,133]

Any player that doesn't want to play for AVB should GET THE FUCK OUT of my club, I don't care who they are or what they have achieved here. No player is bigger than the club & quite frankly they are a disgrace.

Not manager is bigger than the club. What If Terry want AVB out?

[bababoom 4,478]

Not manager is bigger than the club. What If Terry want AVB out?

AVB is the manager, the players should listen and respect his decisions.