Best ever Chelsea squad (in your lifetime)

[zolayes 14,489]

My Squad

Cech

Petrescu Terry Desailly Cole

Makelele Lampard

Robben Zola Osgood Cooke

subs Cudicini Carvalho Le Saux Ballack Essien Greaves Hazard

play 4 2 4

Nevin and Duff should be on the list BUT well done Viper for an excellent thread :blue scalf:

[Nike 373]

cech

ivan-jt-carvalho-cole

Matic

Essien-Cesc

Mata-Drogba-Robben

[zolayes 14,489]

My head is shaking too since tambling is 73 and played for chelsea like +40 years ago....

You must be pretty old to remember tambling.

SOME of us have been around for a while ,, both Barry Bridges and Jimmy Greaves were Chelsea schoolboys

[Nike 373]

SOME of us have been around for a while ,, both Barry Bridges and Jimmy Greaves were Chelsea schoolboys

You guys were, I doubt he was though...

[OhForAGreavsie 5,892]

You have Gallas over Chopper?

Costa over Tambling?

Osgood on the bench?????

My head is shaking mate.

The King is my all time favourite player but he doesn't make first choice striker. That is Greavsie, the greatest ever Chelsea player by a mile. Greavsie's inclusion dictates 4-4-2 and the other one of the two needs to be someone who plays well with Jimmy. Ossie was better in the air than Costa but, contrary to reputation, his foot to foot link up play was not outstanding. Gosta would, in my opinion, finish as many chances as Ossie but create more for Greaves.

As a footballer, I do not rate Chopper at all. With modern refereeing he would not make it at a top division club in my opinion. As a defender I don't think he was even close to Billy Gallas's league. He's a legend, yes, but a great player? Not for me.

[zolayes 14,489]

The King is my all time favourite player but he doesn't make first choice striker. That is Greavsie, the greatest ever Chelsea player by a mile. Greavsie's inclusion dictates 4-4-2 and the other one of the two needs to be someone who plays well with Jimmy. Ossie was better in the air than Costa but, contrary to reputation, his foot to foot link up play was not outstanding. Gosta would, in my opinion, finish as many chances as Ossie but create more for Greaves.

As a footballer, I do not rate Chopper at all. With modern refereeing he would not make it at a top division club in my opinion. As a defender I don't think he was even close to Billy Gallas's league. He's a legend, yes, but a great player? Not for me.

SPOT ON about Chopper ,, You dont have to be good to be a legend or icon .. In time Torres will be a legend like

Bogarde or Robert Fleck

[Liquidator 5,176]

@Jason can you add Mo Salah to the poll?

[Hybrid Angel 2,130]

@Jason can you add Mo Salah to the poll?

It would make it an unfair poll mate.

[Viper22 2,418]

Fan Since 1966 but 'my lifetime' goes a few years further back still so Greaves gets in. My squad is dominated by modern players however, for obvious reasons. Players like Hoddle and Gullit don't get in because by the time they joined Chelsea they were no longer the world class footballers they had been in their pomp.

-----------------Courtois------------------

--Ivanovic---Gallas---Terry-----Cole--

-----------Veron*-------Matic-------------

--Robben-----------------------Hazard--

----------Costa**--------Greaves--------

Subs: Nedweski, Azpillicueta, Carvalho, Ballack, Cooke, Zola & Osgood.

*Selecting Veron is hugely controversial I know but the man was so sumptuously talented I'd take the risk that playing in this team would allow him to do his stuff.

**Costa gets in ahead of other candidates because I think he'd play very well with Greaves, and since Jimmy is the first name on the team sheet that gives Costa a big advantage.

P.S. A few of my players, including both keepers, are missing from the poll!

Sorry couldn't select unlimited players . And did it to the best of my knowledge. Put in Courtois and Costa.

[zolayes 14,489]

you did very well no need for apologies

[Myself 793]

cech

ivan-jt-carvalho-cole

Matic

Essien-Cesc

Mata-Drogba-Robben

You have Cesc over Lampard. Is that a mistake?

[Atlas Lion 1,223]

My head is shaking too since tambling is 73 and played for chelsea like +40 years ago....

You must be pretty old to remember tambling.

[Atlas Lion 1,223]

The King is my all time favourite player but he doesn't make first choice striker. That is Greavsie, the greatest ever Chelsea player by a mile. Greavsie's inclusion dictates 4-4-2 and the other one of the two needs to be someone who plays well with Jimmy. Ossie was better in the air than Costa but, contrary to reputation, his foot to foot link up play was not outstanding. Gosta would, in my opinion, finish as many chances as Ossie but create more for Greaves.

As a footballer, I do not rate Chopper at all. With modern refereeing he would not make it at a top division club in my opinion. As a defender I don't think he was even close to Billy Gallas's league. He's a legend, yes, but a great player? Not for me.

So how and why would you include a player who's been at the club for not even a year when he has contributed nothing as of sort yet ahead of a man who has held our goal scoring record for decades until Frank broke it? Are you basing a mere ability alone? If so, Hazard should be on everyone's list. Gallas over Carvalho? Gallas was used as a LB primarily through his time here as well.

[boshman 1,073]

Born in 1991

Cech

Petrescu - Desailly - JT - Cole

Makelele - Essien

Lampard

Zola

Drogba - JFH

Just jizzed in my pants. Only problem is no width but fuck it... those players are too good to drop for a Robben or someone.

Hazard nearly got in on the wing but i chose to go two upfront with JFH who was maybe the most clinical striker I have ever seen (in my lifetime)for Chelsea.

Cech, JT, Ash, Lamps, Zola and Didier are no brainers for me.

Desailly - Nearly chose Ricky Carvalho but Desailly was an absolute rock at the heart of the first Chelsea squad i ever fell in love with. Fantastic player.

Petrescu - I always preferred him as a right winger than defender but we have never had a stand out right back in my lifetime so he will have to do LOL.

Makelele and Essien - With Lamps formed the greatest midfield this club has ever seen IMO. World Class and too good to leave out.

JFH - Clinical striker, born to score goals and my first ever favourite player! I love the guy!!

[chelseafc9010 224]

Where the hell is the black Zidane in that poll?

The legend will live on

[OhForAGreavsie 5,892]

So how and why would you include a player who's been at the club for not even a year when he has contributed nothing as of sort yet ahead of a man who has held our goal scoring record for decades until Frank broke it? Are you basing a mere ability alone? If so, Hazard should be on everyone's list. Gallas over Carvalho? Gallas was used as a LB primarily through his time here as well.

Firstly, we should both be careful about giving too much weight to our own opinions. There is no test that can be applied, no judge to whom we can turn, to find the definitive, 18 man answer to the question. I believe in my opinions of course, but you naturally believe in yours just as strongly. So, bear that in mind when you read that...

Of course Hazard should be on everyone's list.

Carvalho vs. Gallas is a tough choice but Billy was quicker which compensated very well for JT's biggest shortcoming. I can't claim perfect, or even passable, recall of the stats for the period, but Billy Gallas played a lot of CB for us. The long, long spell during which we didn't concede a single league goal when Gallas & JT started as the CB pair, is among the most spectacular achievements of recent years.

[zolayes 14,489]

Born in 1991

Cech

Petrescu - Desailly - JT - Cole

Makelele - Essien

Lampard

Zola

Drogba - JFH

Just jizzed in my pants. Only problem is no width but fuck it... those players are too good to drop for a Robben or someone.

Hazard nearly got in on the wing but i chose to go two upfront with JFH who was maybe the most clinical striker I have ever seen (in my lifetime)for Chelsea.

Cech, JT, Ash, Lamps, Zola and Didier are no brainers for me.

Desailly - Nearly chose Ricky Carvalho but Desailly was an absolute rock at the heart of the first Chelsea squad i ever fell in love with. Fantastic player.

Petrescu - I always preferred him as a right winger than defender but we have never had a stand out right back in my lifetime so he will have to do LOL.

Makelele and Essien - With Lamps formed the greatest midfield this club has ever seen IMO. World Class and too good to leave out.

JFH - Clinical striker, born to score goals and my first ever favourite player! I love the guy!!

not bad we had 9 the same and you are too young to remember Charlie Cooke

[different level 1,056]

My team

-------------------------Cech---------------------

--Ivanovic---Carvalho---Terry-----Cole------

-----------Makelele-------Essien---------------

--------------------Lampard---------------------

--Zola---------------------------------Hazard---

--------------------Drogba-----------------------

I tried to keep the selection based on contribution rather than talent, but there are a few exceptions such as Hazard, who is considered one of the world's best wingers so I couldn't resist. And to be fair he's already been player of the year and carried the team for much of last season, so he has earned his spot.

Cech, JT and Carvalho - The best defensive formation of keeper and a pair of centre backs not only in our history, but in worldwide football at the time as they kept smashing records for clean sheets and least conceded goals. They had conceded like 15 in 38 games in their first season together in 04/15 and that is nothing short of amazing.

Cole - One of the best left backs in the world at the time we signed him, great both in attack and defensively, I will never forget his goal-line clearances and his great performances when we were backed up against the wall.

Ivanovic - An absolute tank. The strongest player I can recall playing for us, he has contributed with so many headed goals and he's a rock at the back.

Makelele - Easily the best defensive midfielder in the world and rightfully so the CDM position was named the Makelele position. I don't think we've ever replaced him properly for so many years.

Essien - The great bison was among the most versatile players in the club. Fantastic box-to-box midfielder who contributed with fantastic defensive displays, often deployed as a RB, he added lots of power and strength in the team.

Lampard - Our greatest ever player IMO and the best goalscorer we've ever had. When you think of Frank you think of goals. The most clinical finisher I've seen wearing a Chelsea shirt, easily surpassing all of our strikers in the last decade.

Zola and Drogba - The magician and the king. Zola was our most exciting player in the mid 90s to early 00s and he's probably the guy who made people turn their attention to Chelsea at the time. Didier on the other hand was something else. I've never rated his abilities as highly as others and I didn't think he was as good as the other top strikers, but being the ultimate big match player is what made him a Chelsea legend. 9 goals in 9 finals for us and most importantly the hero in the greatest night in the history of CFC.

Others who almost made my team:

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink - The most clinical striker I've seen in Chelsea (until the arrival of Costa). His partnership with Gudjohnsen was fantastic and brought so many goals in the final years before Roman's arrival.

Michael Ballack - To be honest I was a tough choice between him and Essien. He joined us a bit late when he was entering the twilight of his career as he's been hit by injuries, but nevertheless a great player in his time at The Bridge, an engine in the midfield, always offering great support to our attacking players.